Netherlands pacer Vivian Kingma banned for three months for recreational drug use

Netherlands pacer Vivian Kingma has been handed a three-month ban after testing positive for a recreational drug. The 30-year-old admitted to the offence, demonstrating that the substance had been used out-of-competition.

Kingma’s sample, taken following the Netherlands’ ODI against the United Arab Emirates on May 12 in Utrecht during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2, tested positive for Benzoylecgonine, a cocaine metabolite classified as a Substance of Abuse under the ICC Anti-Doping Code. The ban is effective from August 15. However, the three-month period can be reduced to one month if Kingma satisfactorily completes an ICC-approved treatment programme. In addition to the ban, all his records since the UAE ODI have been disqualified.

This disqualification affects two ODIs against Nepal and Scotland, where Kingma had taken two wickets for 122 runs collectively. It also includes a T20I against Scotland, in which he bowled just three deliveries before being taken off.

Kingma’s case follows a recent trend of recreational drug violations in international cricket. South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada and New Zealand’s Doug Bracewell both served bans for recreational drug use within the last year. In both cases, the initial three-month suspensions were reduced to one month after the players successfully completed ICC-approved treatment programmes.

Rabada had admitted to testing positive for recreational drugs and served a provisional suspension, leading to his early exit from IPL 2025 on April 3. Similarly, Bracewell was provisionally suspended without opposition on April 11 after an in-competition test on January 13 at a Super Smash match between Wellington Firebirds and Central Stags in Wellington returned an adverse analytical finding.

The ICC continues to treat recreational drug use seriously while offering pathways for rehabilitation. Kingma’s case highlights both the strict anti-doping measures in place and the option for players to reduce suspensions through approved treatment programmes.