Chris Wright, one of the most famous former bowlers for Middlesex and Warwickshire, is completing a fantastic return to cricket. Having weathered a tough nine-month ban, he’s made an emotional return. Wright’s 788 wickets in all formats over two decades is an amazing career total. He recently went back to absurdly once again to play out the last two months of 2023. His path became a rocky one this past September 2023, when he tested positive for ostarine – a banned performance-enhancing substance.
In July 2024, Wright was given a nine-month suspension. He pleaded guilty to two counts of the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) anti-doping breaches. He argued that the source of the ostarine was “accidental and unknowingly” through a bilberry dietary supplement. To prove his allegations, he tested samples of the supplement at an accredited laboratory located in France.
Homegrown sacred cows
During his ban, he 39-year-old veteran seam bowler was made to consider some other life choices. Wright revealed the psychological toll of the situation, stating:
“It was tough and lonely, and no-one could know, so I had to keep it quiet.”
Even after this major setback, Wright had immense support from his new club, Leicestershire. Through his subsequent suspension, the club’s understanding and support had been key.
“I’m pretty sure there are a lot of other clubs that would have just cut ties much earlier and they would probably have been in their rights,” Wright acknowledged.
Leicestershire’s was a clever decision in that it didn’t go out and shoot its mouth off. This important decision was the key to getting the best possible outcome for Wright.
“They didn’t want to say anything that would jeopardise the case because we wanted the best result possible,” he explained.
With the ban now under him, Wright is eager to put it all behind him and look forward with the second year left on his Leicestershire contract. He had just begun this contract when the drug test failure occurred. He enjoyed a spectacular pre-season and will be keen to pick up in the coming Championship season from where he finished off in 2023. Wanting to repay the club’s faith in him, Wright is obviously hungry to make his mark on the right side of the pitch.
Wright said that his love for the game is as strong as ever and that he looks forward to a future coaching role. He noted:
“I love the game and I’d love to be a coach in the future, but if I had got a ban that was particularly severe and I hadn’t been able to locate the source of the contamination, then I wouldn’t be able to do that.”
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