Australia’s Megan Schutt suspended after prescription medication breach

Australian fast bowler Megan Schutt has been suspended for two matches after breaching guidelines governing the use of prescription medication, Cricket Australia announced on Thursday, October 22.

The 33-year-old will miss Australia’s third and final Twenty20 International against New Zealand, scheduled for Thursday, as well as the Adelaide Strikers’ opening match of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) against the Melbourne Stars on October 31.

Cricket Australia said the breach involved a single incident that occurred outside competition and was not related to performance enhancement.

The governing body said Schutt failed to comply with requirements under its Sports Science and Sports Medicine guidelines concerning prescription medication.

Schutt accepted the sanction and apologised for failing to meet the standards expected of her.

“I fully accept the penalty handed down and apologise for failing to meet the standards expected of me,” she said in a statement.

She also apologised for the attention the incident had generated and thanked those who had supported her.

Schutt acknowledged that, although the incident occurred outside competition and was not performance-related, she remained responsible for complying with the guidelines provided to players.

Cricket Australia said it would continue to support the fast bowler while reinforcing the standards and responsibilities expected of everyone representing Australian cricket.

The suspension comes after Schutt delivered an impressive performance in Australia’s recent three-match ODI series against Bangladesh, taking 10 wickets for 71 runs across the series.

Schutt has been a regular member of Australia’s women’s cricket team, featuring in both one-day internationals and T20 internationals.

The two-match suspension applies to international and domestic cricket, ruling her out of the final T20 against New Zealand and Adelaide Strikers’ opening fixture in the upcoming WBBL season.