Keith Piper fails drug test
Keith Piper, the Warwickshire wicketkeeper, will appear before an England and Wales Cricket Board disciplinary panel on Thursday after failing a drugs test.
The 35-year-old tested positive for a recreational drug during the opening County Championship match of the season. He has been suspended by his club pending the outcome of the hearing, after which a formal statement will be issued.
If Piper is found guilty of the offence, he will be the second Warwickshire player in seven months to fall foul of the drugs regulations.
Graham Wagg was given a 15-month ban by the ECB after testing positive for cocaine, a punishment which prompted his Edgbaston contract to be terminated.
Piper made his Warwickshire debut in 1989 and is the longest-serving player on their books. However, there is already a blemish by his name. In 1997, he was suspended for one match and fined £500 after failing a drugs test for cannabis.
