Treymane Smartt suspended for anti-doping violation

West Indies women's cricketer Tremayne Smartt has been suspended by the ICC from all cricket and cricket-related activities for five months after being found guilty of violating an anti-doping rule. An independent anti-doping tribunal comprising Tim Kerr QC (acting as chairman), Dr Anik Sax and Prof. Peter Sever took the decision at a hearing in London on Friday based on written and oral legal submissions as well as testimony from Smartt, who plead guilty.

Smartt has played 15 ODIs and 12 Twenty20 internationals for West Indies.

A random urine sample collected in September this year, which was tested at a laboratory accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), was found to contain a prohibited substance called Furosemide. The tribunal accepted that the substance wasn't used to enhance performance or mask the use of another performance-enhancing drug, "but that she had failed to satisfy the high levels of personal responsibility implicit upon her as an international cricketer subject to anti-doping rules."

"Smartt, 26, provided a urine sample as part of the ICC's random in-competition testing programme after the conclusion of a Twenty20 International between West Indies and Pakistan, held in Georgetown, Guyana on September 11," an ICC release said. Her sample was found to contain Furosemide, classified as a 'Specified Substance' under WADA's Prohibited List.

Smartt, according to the release, had taken the substance to treat a swelling in her knee. She was found guilty of violating Article 2.1 of the ICC's Anti-Doping code and stands suspended until March 25 next year. She has three weeks to appeal against the decision should she wish to.

In a statement, Smartt conceded she did not effectively check the Prohibited List and would have to accept the consequences.