Spencer banned for 18 months

Spencer took the banned steroid Nandrolone between July and September of last year and failed his doping test on February 25 after playing for WA in the Mercantile Mutual Cup final against New South Wales. The Australian Sports Drug Agency, which conducted the test, informed Spencer of the positive finding on March 29 and the board on April 2, with the story finally breaking yesterday.

The anti-doping committee only gave its verdict tonight, with its reasons to be made public next week.

ACB chief executive Malcolm Speed said the matter had been dealt with in the right way.

"No sport would be pleased that one of its players had been found guilty of this type of offence but I am reassured by the fact that this player was identified and dealt with quickly through the ACB's testing program and anti-doping procedures," Speed said.

"This decision sends the clear message that cricket will not tolerate any player taking prohibited substances and will move swiftly to deal with any person found to have breached the ACB's anti-doping policy."

The board will also look into what it called a breakdown in procedure at the West Australian Cricket Association when Spencer returned to State cricket last summer.

Spencer told tonight's hearing he had signed his State contract confirming he had received and read the board's anti-doping policy, but had not received a copy of that document.

Spencer made a short statement but he would not comment further on the case.

"These injections were prescribed to me to improve my everyday life as I was suffering from chronic pain that I had been suffering for the last six years," he said.

"The medication was not prescribed for sport, at that time I did not believe I would be able to bowl again, let alone at the first class level."

The 29-year-old played six one day games for WA last year after recovering from his back problem.

He was born in England and made his first class debut for Kent in 1993 before playing for WA in the 1993-94 season.

Then he was put out of action because of his injury.

Speed said a rehabilitation specialist in Perth had prescribed the drugs for Spencer and added that, in itself, had not broken any laws.

The drug only became an issue when Spencer started playing first class cricket again and Speed said Spencer should have informed the West Australian authorities and sought an exemption.

The board could have banned Spencer for two years under its anti-doping policy, introduced in 1998, but tonight's committee also had the power to give a reduced sentence.