HAMPSHIRE Cricket's Keith Barker will return to competitive cricket from July 4, 2025, following the completion of a 12-month doping ban.

Barker was provisionally suspended by the Cricket Regulator in July 2024 after an anti-doping violation, which Barker claims was a "genuine error".

A Hampshire Cricket statement said: "The controlled substance, which was a like-for-like alternative to Barker’s previous long-standing medication, was not declared to UK Anti-Doping at the time of use, and a request for a retrospective Therapeutic Use Exemption was rejected.

"The review panel accepted that Barker had no intention of breaching anti-doping rules and was not seeking any performance advantage.

"Hampshire Cricket and the Professional Cricketers’ Association have supported the all-rounder throughout what has been a challenging nine-month process and have been unable to make any public comment about his absence from the team."

Barker said: “Over the last nine months, I have been part of a very tense, gruelling process leading to the results of my hearing.

"Having been forced to step away from my career and the sport I have loved since I was a young child due to a genuine administrative error has been mentally taxing and left me fearing for the loss of my career that is very dear to me.”

“I’d like to thank the support of the PCA, all the professionals involved in working on my case, Hampshire Cricket and family and friends for helping me get through this difficult time.”

“I’m looking forward to getting back to playing the game that I love. My hope is for any young professionals to look at my case with a renewed sense of vigilance around medication and anti-doping procedures in professional sport.”

Giles White, director of cricket, said: “This is a regrettable incident, which is the result of a genuine mistake.

"Keith is an exceptional professional, and everyone at the Club is focused on supporting him to return to first team action from July.

“Keith’s performances over the last six years have made him a firm favourite with fans, and we are grateful to members and supporters for their patience while this process has been ongoing.”