Cricket: "Steyn's Drug Results had High levels of morphine"

The Indian Premier League have asked South African international fast bowler Dale Steyn to explain high levels of morphine found in a drugs test. The sample was taken while the 26-year-old was playing for the Bangalore Royal Challengers in this year's competition.

South Africa team doctor Mohammad Moosajee believes painkillers taken for migraines are behind Steyn's result. "This is an adverse analytical finding and that is totally different from a doping violation," said Moosajee.

Steyn has replied to an enquiry into his results from the IPL's doping authorities and Cricket South Africa are now following up the case with their Indian counterparts. "Since last summer Dale has been laid low by chronic migraines and has been taking a codeine painkiller called Myprodol," added Moosajee.

"The normal level of morphine is one microgram (per ml), Dale was at around 1.1 to 1.3. "Because he was slightly above the level, they wanted to know why. A letter has been written to the IPL and we are awaiting the reply."

Steyn, who has previously played for Essex and Warwickshire, was keeping a written record of the medication he was taking and Moosajee believes that a difference in the branding of Myprodol between India and South Africa may have contributed to his abnormal results.