Pakistan opening batsman Ahmed Shehzad risks facing a three-month ban from international cricket at least after testing positive in a dope test, according to a report by Pakistan media outlet Geo News.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday confirmed that a national team player had violated the anti-doping laws of the ICC but refrained from naming him due to legal issues.
“A player has reportedly tested positive for a prohibited substance. But under ICC rules PCB cannot name the player or chargesheet him until the chemical report is CONFIRMED by the Anti-Dope Agency of the government. We should have an answer in a day or two,” Pakistan cricket’s governing body had stated in an official statement.
A player has reportedly tested positive for a prohibited substance. But under ICC rules PCB cannot name the player or chargesheet him until the chemical report is CONFIRMED by the Anti-Dope Agency of the government. We should have an answer in a day or two.
— PCB Media (@TheRealPCBMedia) June 20, 2018
According to the report by Geo News, sources have informed that Shehzad is the player who failed the dope test.
The opening batsman now faces the prospect of being handed a three-month ban at the minimum for violating ICC’s anti-doping laws although he reserves the right to give a second sample test.
The 26-year-old has played 13 Tests, 81 ODIs and 57 T20Is for his country in his career so far. He was part of the Pakistan T20I squad which recently beat Scotland 2-0 in the two-match series.
Shehzad had registered scores of 14 and 24 in the two matches.
The opener is not the first Pakistan player to violate the anti-doping laws after leg-spinner Yasir Shah was banned for three-months in 2016 after pleading guilty to the charge. Earlier, the likes of Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Asif, Abdul Rehman and Reza Hasan have all been guilty of failing dope tests.
