/ 21 July 2012

CSA stumped by Parnell drugs report

According to Indian media reports
According to Indian media reports

"I have not received any notification in any form from the Indian police or from BCCI (the Indian cricket board)," Cricket SA's acting CEO Jacques Faul said on Saturday.

"I have reviewed the clip which appeared on an Indian news channel and it seems they came to the conclusion from loosely based data."

Parnell and Indian cricketer Rahul Sharma, both members of the IPL team Pune Warriors, were part of a group of 90 people detained after police raided and found drugs at a party in Mumbai on May 20.

They were released after their urine and blood samples were taken. At the time, both Parnell and Sharma denied taking any drugs.

"I was at the wrong place at the wrong time," Parnell said after the incident.

"I was calm because I knew that I hadn't done anything wrong.

"We were not aware of… any drugs being taken. The party was on the pool terrace so it was very relaxed. We were sent to a hospital in Mumbai where blood and urine samples were taken. All those present at the gathering were also tested."

According to a report on Friday, Mumbai police received results of blood samples of 44 out of the 90 people who had attended the sundown party at Oakwood Premier Hotel in Juhu.

"Of the 44, two females tested negative, while the rest are positive," deputy police commissioner Pratap Dighaokar told Indian news agency PTI.

These 44 people included the two IPL cricketers, Rahul and Parnell and 38 women, police sources said.

All those who tested positive would be arrested, another police official said.

According to the report, 35 of those tested positive had consumed cannabis, three had consumed cannabis as well as cocaine and four others had consumed cannabis and MDMA (better known as ecstasy, a drug usually taken in a pill form).

However, police did not reveal their names.

Parnell is representing South Africa A against Zimbabwe, in Harare, in the final match of a Tri-Series tournament and flies home on Sunday. – Sapa