Megan Schutt banned two matches for prescription medication breach

Australia women's cricket stalwart Megan Schutt has been handed a two-match ban for a prescription medication breach, with the 33-year-old apologising for her actions. The suspension, announced on Thursday, is not related to performance enhancement.

Schutt served the first match of her ban on Thursday night when Australia's T20 international with New Zealand was washed out in Sydney. Cricket Australia (CA) said Schutt failed to adhere to requirements under Sports Science and Sports Medicine guidelines regarding prescription medication.

Schutt accepts penalty and apologises

Schutt, a mainstay of Australia's women's team since her debut in 2012, said in a statement: "I fully accept the penalty handed down and apologise for failing to meet the standards expected of me. I'm sorry for the attention this has caused and appreciate the support I've received."

She added: "While this occurred out of competition and was not performance related, I understand that I am responsible for following the Sports Science and Sports Medicine Guidelines, which players receive regular education on and I should have adhered to these guidelines."

CA confirms single incidence, not performance-related

Cricket Australia said Schutt's breach related to "a single incidence which occurred while out of competition and was not for performance enhancing purposes". CA added: "The two-match ban includes all international and domestic cricket. We will continue to provide appropriate support to Megan and reinforce the standards and responsibilities expected of everyone representing our game."

Schutt is among the top-10 all-time wicket-takers in women's cricket. The South Australian has taken 319 wickets in her 244 internationals – four Tests, 114 ODIs and 126 T20s. She most recently played for Australia in the three-match ODI series against Bangladesh, where she took 10 wickets.