Rory Kleinveldt tests positive for banned substance

Cape Cobras allrounder Rory Kleinveldt, who has played two Twenty20s for South Africa, has been withdrawn from the Cobras squad for the rest of the MiWay T20 challenge after testing positive for a banned substance. The South African Cricketers' Association (SACA) advised that Kleinveldt be omitted as a "precaution".

"Kleinveldt has returned a positive sample in a routine anti-doping test," SACA said in a release. "The test reveals the presence of a specified substance in Kleinveldt's test sample. SACA will be reviewing the medical evidence as soon as it is available and will only be in a position to make further comment thereafter."

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) explains a specified substance as one that can is more "susceptible to a credible, non-doping explanation". Kleinveldt may request a B sample test if he is unhappy with the result of the initial doping test.

Richard Pybus, coach of the Cobras, said the franchise's staff would provide Kleinveldt with "all the support he needs", although he admitted to being "disappointed" at having to do without his services for the rest of the Twenty20 campaign. The Cobras lie fourth on the table and need to win all their remaining matches to stand a chance to automatically progress to the final. The team that finishes first will avoid a play-off and proceed straight to the final, while the second and third placed teams will contest a knockout match to decide who earns the right to a Champions League ticket.

Kleinveldt, who was included in the South Africa squad for the ODI series against Sri Lanka in January, becomes the second player from the country in the last two years to fail an anti-doping test. Vaughn van Jaarsveld, the Dolphins batsman, completed a three-month ban in January after a substance in the diet pills he was prescribed to consume was found to be on WADA's prohibited list.