Doug Bracewell’s return to the game has been stalled by a lengthy ban after a cocaine positive test. The former New Zealand and Essex all-rounder has received a two-year suspension following anti-doping findings during an English County Championship match last year.
Quick facts
- Player: Doug Bracewell (New Zealand and Essex all-rounder)
- Ban length: Two years
- Sample tested positive: September 25, 2025
- Fixture: Essex vs Somerset in the County Championship at Chelmsford
- Retirement date: December 28 (after being notified of the result)
- Admission: Cocaine use after day one and again in the early hours before day two
- Previous sanction: One-month suspension in 2024 for a cocaine positive during New Zealand’s Super Smash T20
- Backdated start: November 24, 2025 (date of provisional ban)
- Ban ends: November 23, 2027
- International record: 69 appearances for New Zealand across formats
The positive test was recorded on September 25, 2025, when Bracewell was playing for Essex County Cricket Club against Somerset County Cricket Club at Chelmsford. After he was informed of the result, he stepped away from cricket on December 28.
Bracewell, who is 35 years old, admitted that he used cocaine after the first day of the encounter and again during the early hours ahead of the second day’s play. Even though his retirement followed the notification, the governing cricket regulator still issued him a two-year period of ineligibility.
At the time of the sanction, Bracewell had already been signed by Essex for the final three County Championship matches of that season. However, the ban was not affected by his decision to retire, and it will run from the backdated start date of November 24, 2025.
The suspension is due to remain in place until November 23, 2027. Bracewell has accepted the sanction, while Essex indicated that the club itself will not be hit with any additional punishment.
Essex issued a statement confirming the outcome of the anti-doping process and discussed its internal response. “Essex can confirm that Doug Bracewell failed a routine drugs test in September 2025,” the club said on Friday.
The club added that it backs the regulator’s decision to impose a two-year ban. It also stated that all employees are expected to meet the highest standards of professional conduct, while clarifying that it does not approve of Bracewell’s actions.
Essex further said it will support the player through rehabilitation in line with its established policies and procedures. The latest sanction comes after Bracewell previously served a one-month suspension in 2024 for a cocaine positive during New Zealand’s Super Smash T20 tournament.
