Ireland cricketer Stokell begins voluntary suspension over medication reporting breach

Ireland women's cricketer Rebecca Stokell, 26, has said she accepts full responsibility for an inadvertent breach of requirements to report the use of prescription medication, and has begun a voluntary suspension. The International Cricket Council (ICC), the sport's global governing body, confirmed the matter.

What happened

Stokell was drug tested in June after Ireland lost to Sri Lanka at the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup, an international cricket tournament played in the shorter T20 format. The ICC said the test returned an adverse finding for a specified substance. The source stresses that the substance was not performance-enhancing.

Stokell acknowledged that she did not follow the reporting rules on prescription medication use. She chose to stop playing while the ICC investigation is pending.

Statements from the player and Cricket Ireland

In a statement, Stokell said she fully accepts her mistake and entered a period of suspension voluntarily before the findings are returned. She stressed that the matter was not related to performance, but that she understands she is responsible for following anti-doping guidelines. She hopes to return to the Ireland side as soon as possible.

Graeme West, director of high performance at Cricket Ireland, the national governing body, said the organisation feels sorry for Stokell and has provided appropriate support. He said the incident is a reminder to all international players that anti-doping rules exist to protect both the sport and the athletes, and that players will continue to be educated regularly on the subject.

Stokell made her international debut in 2017 and has played 109 times for Ireland across all formats.