An Afghanistan cricketer who has faced Bermuda in the past was suspended for a breach of the ICC Anti-Doping Code, but this story more confusing, with the player only actually missing only 9 months!
Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Shahzad has been handed a retrospective one-year ban by the ICC. The 29-year old was found to be in breach of the ICC Anti-Doping Code, having ingested the banned substance Clenbuterol.
A statement on the ICC website said Shahzad had "inadvertently ingested the prohibited substance, as a contaminant of a weight-loss product he was taking, Hydroxycut." On Thursday, the global governing body announced that Shahzad has been suspended from all cricket-related activities for 12 months after pleading guilty to breaching Article 2.1 of the ICC Anti-Doping Code.
The ban has been applied retrospectively from January 17, 2017 for that was the day Shahzad gave his urine sample for testing. In a form submitted alongside, he had ticked "nil" when asked if he had taken any prescribed or non-prescribed medication or supplements.
But Shahzad has played cricket in the time he was not meant to. He represented Afghanistan in 10 ODIs, seven T20Is and one four-day Intercontinental Cup match between January and March this year.
"In accordance with Article 10.8 of the Code, all individual results obtained by Mr Shahzad since the date of his sample collection (17 January 2017) until the date of his Provisional Suspension (26 April 2017) are disqualified with all of the resulting consequences, including forfeiture of any individual medals or other prizes awarded," the ICC said.
It is understood that the ICC can only stop a player from participating in a match after the issuing of a provisional suspension. Shahzad was handed the penalty on April 26 and he has not played since. It is also understood that the ICC decided to backdate his ban to give Shahzad credit for admitting to his mistake. As a result, he will be eligible to return to cricket in just under six weeks, well in time for Afghanistan's campaign at the World Cup qualifier in March in Zimbabwe.”
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