Keith Piper's failed drugs test promises to expose the glaring inconsistencies in the approach of the sport's governing bodies to the issue after it emerged that he would have no case to answer under International Cricket Council regulations.

Cannabis is not a banned substance under ICC rules so, had Piper been playing for England overseas, he would not have failed the test.

As it is, however, his career is almost certain to be ended by the incident and his long-term prospects as a coach are also in doubt.

Piper's defence lawyer will seek to exploit such double standards as he seeks leniency from the English and Wales Cricket Board, as well as Warwickshire.

At his ECB hearing in Manchester yesterday, Piper admitted that he had taken cannabis. He will have to wait a fortnight to discover his punishment, however, after requesting an adjournment in order to prepare his mitigation.

"I simply haven't had time to prepare our mitigation," Piper's representative, the Professional Cricketers' Association lawyer Ian Smith, said last night. "Ideally we wanted only a couple of days but the only convenient date for the panel is May 26."

Piper is suspended from all cricket in the meantime.

His mitigation will focus largely on the relatively minor nature of the offending drug and seek to exploit cricket's muddled laws in the area. Smith said: "For a start, cannabis is not a performance enhancing drug.

Keith Piper is not a cheat. One could argue that cocaine is a stimulant but there are no grounds whatsoever for arguing that cannabis is performance-enhancing.

Cannabis is on the list of the ECB's banned substances largely for political reasons, but we will be stressing the relatively low severity of the drug.

"Furthermore, cannabis is not on the ICC list of banned substances. Had Keith been tested as an England player in the Champions' Trophy, he would not have failed a test. They don't test for it in Australia, either.

"We will also talk about some of Keith's personal issues, so I feel we have good grounds to expect some leniency."

Realistically, Piper must accept that his playing career is probably over. The real issue is his future as a coach. If the panel delivers a harsh verdict, Piper's future role will be jeopardised. It is this area that he is now most keen to protect. The fact that he also served a club ban over the same issue in 1997 will do him no favours.

Whatever the three-man panel chaired by Gerard Elias QC decide, however, Piper also has the issue of Warwickshire's committee.

Judging by their reaction to Graham Wagg's misdemeanour, Piper has little reason for optimism. I understand, however, that there are those at the club who are keen to take a softer approach towards the player, so he may yet have a future as a coach at Edgbaston.

There was better news for Warwickshire about Ashley Giles. Scans revealed no problem with his sore groin and he should be fit to play in Tuesday's Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy secondround match against Leicestershire at Edgbaston.