Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz has been sanctioned by the International Cricket Council following a positive drugs test for a cannabis-related substance, the governing body confirmed on Friday.
The 32-year-old tested positive for Carboxy-THC, a metabolite of THC, the psychoactive component found in cannabis, after Pakistan’s Men’s T20 World Cup match against the Netherlands on 7 February. The substance is classified as a Substance of Abuse under the ICC’s Anti-Doping Code.
Nawaz admitted the violation and satisfied the ICC that the substance had been consumed out of competition and bore no relation to sporting performance. As a result, he was handed a three-month suspension, backdated to 1 May, the date on which he began a voluntary provisional suspension. Having served approximately two and a half months of that ban and agreed to undergo a rehabilitation programme, his provisional suspension has since been lifted.
In accordance with the anti-doping code, Nawaz’s results from the Netherlands match and all subsequent fixtures up to 1 May have been formally disqualified. He had featured in all seven of Pakistan’s matches at the T20 World Cup, contributing 15 runs and seven wickets before the side were eliminated at the Super Eights stage.
