CSA to tread lightly on Parnell case

Wayne Parnell, the South Africa seamer, is unlikely to be sanctioned by his board over allegations that he took recreational drugs, CSA acting chief executive Jacques Faul has said. Parnell had failed a drugs test after being detained by Mumbai police following a raid on a party in May.

Faul questioned the handling of the matter by the Indian police. "To take action against Wayne will be next to impossible at the moment because the whole process over there has been shambolic," he told Supersport. "The police are talking to some sections of the media but not to the cricket boards. The whole testing procedure was not done according to the standards that normally apply in sport and Wayne would be able to contest any action we take with absolute ease."

Parnell has insisted he is innocent, claiming he "was at the wrong place at the wrong time". Rahul Sharma, the India legspinner and Parnell's Pune Warriors team-mate in the IPL, had also tested positive, but denied taking any drugs.

The Indian board has contacted the police for details of the specific test reports, and the Indian police have yet to lay any charges on the two cricketers.