Pakistan left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz has accepted a three-month period of ineligibility for breaching the International Cricket Council (ICC) Anti-Doping Code, according to an ICC media release. The sanction relates to a positive test for a Substance of Abuse, identified as Carboxy-THC, following a doping test conducted after Pakistan's ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 match against the Netherlands in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on February 7.
The 32-year-old cricketer admitted the anti-doping violation and informed authorities that the substance had been used out of competition and was unrelated to enhancing sporting performance. Based on his admission and the circumstances surrounding the case, the ICC imposed a three-month suspension, which has been backdated to May 1, 2026. This was the date on which Nawaz began serving a voluntary provisional suspension.
The ICC stated that the period of ineligibility can be reduced to one month if Nawaz successfully completes a substance abuse treatment programme to the satisfaction of the governing body. Following acceptance of the sanction and his commitment to the treatment programme, Nawaz's provisional suspension has been lifted after he served approximately two-and-a-half months of the suspension period.
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Under the ICC Anti-Doping Code, records from Pakistan's match against the Netherlands on February 7, as well as performances in subsequent matches until May 1, 2026, have been disqualified. The decision affects the official recognition of his results during that period as part of the disciplinary measures associated with the anti-doping violation.
The ICC has clarified that Nawaz will not be required to serve any further period of ineligibility if he completes the prescribed treatment programme successfully. The case highlights the cricket body's continued enforcement of anti-doping regulations and its approach of combining disciplinary action with rehabilitation measures in cases involving substances classified as drugs of abuse rather than performance-enhancing substances.
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