doug bracewell has admitted using cocaine after the first day of Essex’s final County Championship match last year, a case that has now ended with a two-year ban. The former New Zealand all-rounder returned a positive test on September 25, the second day of the match against Somerset at Chelmsford. He confirmed on December 8 that he used cocaine after the opening day of the fixture, into the early hours of the following morning, before retiring from cricket on December 28.
Positive test and sanction
The Cricket Regulator said Bracewell’s sample from September 25 contained cocaine and its metabolite, benzoylecgonine. He has accepted the sanction, and the regulator has issued a two-year period of ineligibility.
Bracewell had signed for Essex for the final three Championship matches of the season. He opened the bowling on day one, took two wickets as Somerset reached 339 for 6, and was not required to bat on day two when Essex won by seven wickets.
The case now closes out a short and abrupt final chapter in doug bracewell’s career in England, but the disciplinary outcome keeps the focus on the anti-doping process that followed the positive result.
Immediate reaction from Essex
Essex said that Bracewell failed a routine drugs test in September 2025. The club said it supports the Cricket Regulator’s decision to impose a two-year ban and added that all employees are required to meet the highest standards of professional conduct.
The club also said it does not condone Bracewell’s behaviour, while adding that it is committed to supporting him through rehabilitation in line with its policies and procedures.
Career background and previous ban
Bracewell played 69 international matches across formats for New Zealand, including 28 Tests, 21 one-day internationals and 20 T20 internationals. He is also part of a well-known New Zealand cricketing family, with his uncle John Bracewell having played 28 Tests and his cousin Michael described as a current Black Cap.
This was not his first sanction. He previously served a one-month ban for cocaine use in 2024 after a domestic Twenty20 match in New Zealand, following completion of a substance abuse treatment programme. The latest case adds a second disciplinary penalty to a career that ended in England with Essex and now carries a two-year suspension for doug bracewell.
What happens next
With Bracewell already retired, the practical impact of the ban is disciplinary rather than competitive, but the ruling leaves no ambiguity about the regulator’s position. The key next step is the enforcement of the two-year ineligibility period, while Essex has said it will continue to support him through rehabilitation.
