Top cricketers from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the West Indies and Pakistan also have been named time and again for using such substances.
NEW DELHI: Former left-arm spinner Maninder Singh's may be the first case of the use of narcotics in the Indian cricket but history tells us that cricketers from the other countries have been often found caught in the drug net.
Maninder, caught with 1.5 gms of cocaine, admitted that he was in a habit of using it once or twice in a month for around 10-15 years.
Top cricketers from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the West Indies and Pakistan also have been named time and again for using such substances.
Former Pakistan speedster Wasim Akram was alleged of carrying marijuana during the team's tour of the West Indies in 1993 while Waqar Younis, Aquib Javed and Mushtaq Ahmed were arrested on the charges.
The matter was redressed only after then Grenada Prime Minister intervened as Pakistan Cricket Board had came in defence of its players. Consequently, the opening Test in Trinidad was delayed by a day.
England all-rounder Ian Botham is also listed among the substance abusers. He was charged with the habit of consuming 'ganja' in 1986.
Botham, after an initial resistance, was reported to have admitted it following which the England and Wales Cricket Board had suspended him it for two months.
Stephen Fleming may have helped New Zealand reach the semi-finals of recent World Cup in the Caribbean and the Champions Trophy last year but he was caught for using 'ganja' during their tour of South Africa in 1993-94.
Fleming shocked everyone by disclosing that half of his team was involved in it but the country's cricket board fined only Fleming and Matthew Hart.
Six members of South African team were also fined for using narcotics while celebrating their win in the Caribbean in 2000-01.
Harschelle Gibbs, Andre Nel, Justin Kemp, Roger Telemachus, Paul Adams and physio Craig Smith were fined $13000.
West Indian player David Murray had admitted that he used marijuana before and after the match and it was easy for him to get the substance in India. Murray started using the substance in 1978.
In recent cases, Australian legend Shane Warne and Pakistani fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif were caught for using performance-enhancing drugs before 2003 World Cup and last years' Champions Trophy respectively.
Warne used diuretics while Shoaib and Asif used banned steroid nandrolone and were suspended from the respective teams.
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