Gibbs, team-mates Andre Nel, Justin Kemp, Paul Adams and Roger Telemachus, and physio Craig Smith were all fined and reprimanded for using the drug following South Africa's victory in the fourth Test in Antigua.

But it put Gibbs in breach of a three-match suspended ban, imposed a year earlier after he staryed out until the early hours before a one-day game against Australia.

The ban could now be brought into force by the United Cricket Board of South Africa, which would rule him out of the Test series in Zimbabwe later this year.

"The UCBSA confirms that it does not condone any illegal action by any of its players or officials.

"Action was taken against those squad members by the on-tour misconduct committee and the UCBSA endorses that action.

Kemp and Smith, speaking on behalf of the six found guilty, said they were "remorseful".

"The players involved would like to confirm to the South African public that this was a one-off incident and that it will not happen again on any South African cricket team tour," they added.

Captain Shaun Pollock said the tour to the Caribbean was the most demanding he had experienced.

"This was only my second tour away as captain. There was a lot of hard work involved and a lot of deep thinking at times.

"I would have to say that this was the most difficult tour I've ever been involved in."

The South Africans became the first team to win both a Test and one-day international series in the Caribbean.

Pollock also achieved the individual honour of becoming the first South African to achieve the all-rounders mark of 200 wickets and 2,000 runs in Test cricket.