Warwickshire stand by Piper following positive drugs test

Warwickshire have said that they will stand by Keith Piper after the wicketkeeper was banned for testing positive for cannabis.

Warwickshire have said that they will stand by Keith Piper after the wicketkeeper was banned for testing positive for cannabis.

Piper, 35, has been suspended for the rest of the season after failing a drugs test last month. His county will now work on the player's rehabilitation.

"We feel that Keith Piper's punishment is appropriate and that it sends out the right message to current and future players," Warwickshire's chief executive Dennis Amiss said. "While it is dangerous to draw distinctions between types of drug misuse, the club considers that Keith's offence is at the lowest level. We will now work with the ECB [England and Wales Cricket Board] and the Professional Cricketers' Association to support Keith through this difficult period."