Ireland's Rebecca Stokell admits to ICC's doping charges

Ireland batter Rebecca Stokell has admitted to breaching the ICC's anti-doping code. Notably, a sample provided by Stokell during an in-competition test returned an adverse finding for a Specified Substance.

The ICC released a statement mentioning that it has notified Stokell about the violation and the cricketer has accepted a voluntary suspension.

"Following the receipt of the notification, Stokell has admitted the violation, which arose from her use of prescription medication, and accepted a voluntary suspension effective 23 October 2026 pending the outcome of the disciplinary process," the ICC statement said.

In a statement, Stokell revealed that the substance involved was non-performance enhancing and took full responsibility for not complying with the anti-doping guidelines.

"I fully accept my mistake and have voluntarily entered into a period of suspension ahead of the findings being returned. While this was not performance related in any way, I understand that I am responsible for following the anti-doping guidelines and I hope that I can be back playing for Ireland as soon as possible,” Stokell said.

Stokell has represented Ireland in 29 ODIs and 80 T20Is since making her international debut in 2017. According to the ICC, her sample was collected during an in-competition test conducted on June 23, 2026. On the same day, she played in Ireland’s T20 World Cup fixture against Sri Lanka in Bristol, where her team suffered a nine-wicket defeat.

Stokell's career so far

Ireland managed just one win in the tournament, registering a six-wicket victory over the West Indies in their final group-stage fixture. Stokell featured in all five matches but didn’t have a memorable campaign, having scored only 40 runs at an average of 10, with a highest score of an unbeaten 16.

Her last international assignment was Ireland’s three-match ODI series in England in September, where they lost 0-3. In her career so far, Stokell has accumulated 468 runs in ODIs and 908 in T20Is, including three half-centuries in the 50-over format and one in T20Is.