Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz has been cleared to return to competitive cricket after the International Cricket Council (ICC) reduced his period of ineligibility following an anti-doping rule violation involving a prohibited substance.
The ICC said Nawaz admitted to breaching its Anti-Doping Code after testing positive for Carboxy-THC following Pakistan’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup match against the Netherlands in Colombo. The governing body concluded that the substance was used out of competition and was not intended to enhance sporting performance.
Suspension Reduced Following Rehabilitation Agreement
According to the ICC, Nawaz initially received a three-month suspension, effective from May 1, 2026, the date he voluntarily accepted a provisional suspension.
However, after agreeing to participate in an approved substance abuse treatment and rehabilitation program, the ICC reduced the sanction to one month.
As Nawaz has already spent more than two and a half months under provisional suspension, the ICC confirmed that he is now eligible to resume playing, provided he successfully completes the rehabilitation program.
Match Results Disqualified
Under the ICC Anti-Doping Code, Nawaz’s individual performance against the Netherlands and all his cricket results recorded between February 7 and May 1, 2026, have been officially disqualified.
The positive test was conducted after Pakistan’s T20 World Cup match against the Netherlands in Colombo on February 7, 2026.
Previous Anti-Doping Cases in Pakistan Cricket
Mohammad Nawaz joins a list of Pakistani cricketers who have previously faced anti-doping sanctions.
Fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif received bans after failing drug tests ahead of the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy, while former leg-spinner Yasir Shah served a three-month suspension following an anti-doping violation in 2015.
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