DURBAN, (Reuters) – South African batsman Vaughn van Jaarsveld has been banned from cricket for three months following an appeal from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) said yesterday.
The 26-year-old Van Jaarsveld, who has played two one-day internationals and three Twenty20 matches for South Africa tested positive for the banned stimulant sibutramine in November after taking weight loss medication prescribed by his doctor.
Sibutramine is a stimulant which, although present in certain medications, is also on WADA’s prohibited list. Initially, Van Jaarsveld received a reprimand from the South African Institute for Drug Free Sport (SAIDS) after it found that the medication had been taken for legitimate weight loss reasons and not to enhance performance. But WADA appealed against the decision, resulting in SAIDS handing down the three-month ban.
“This is a particularly harsh outcome for Vaughn, given the circumstances of this matter,” SACA’s chief executive Tony Irish said in a statement.
