Brendon McCullum Clears The Air About A 'Positive' Drug Test During IPL 2016

Former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum has finally opened up about a positive drug test during Indian Premier League (IPL) 2016. McCullum, who was representing the Gujarat Lions in the ninth edition of the IPL, took a higher dose of medication for his asthma due to the excessive pollution levels in New Delhi. This resulted in an excess of salbutamol, a drug that is part of inhalers used to treat asthma, in McCullum's urine sample. "There was a bit of a process to go through to make sure they had all the information and ticked off the areas they wanted to see, but we went through it all and [the BCCI] were actually pretty good to work with, in the end," McCullum told stuff.co.nz on June 22.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) approached the 36-year-old with the same and he got the help of medical experts from Sweden to issue a retroactive Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE).

"I certainly don't see it as a failed drug test. It was just a case of we just need to seek clarification and apply for this. I have no ill-feeling about [the process] and I also have no guilt or remorse about it because I needed a puff of my inhaler at that time," McCullum said.

"I've heard this sort of rumbling around in the background for a while and I actually said to my wife, 'I don't know why we don't just deal with this now, I've got nothing to hide and it is better off just talking about stuff rather than having other people talking about it'. Otherwise, it just grows and festers.

"As far as I am concerned it was just a matter of making sure we got everything signed off properly, rather than it being a failed drug test."

During the game against Delhi, McCullum smashed a whirlwind 36-ball 60 and led his team to a one-run win.

(With IANS Inputs)
 

Topics mentioned in this article

New Zealand Cricket Team Gujarat Lions Brendon McCullum IPL 9 Cricket