Daily Times

LAHORE: Pakistan opener Ahmad Shahzad has tested positive for a banned steroid, it was revealed on Wednesday. According to sources privy to the matter, the 26-year-old cricketer from Lahore has failed the dope test, which may result in his immediate suspension. Sources added that Shahzad had the option to undergo a second dope test. The opener, who is struggling to hit form for some time now, may be banned for three months, according to sources. A decision in this connection is expected in the next couple of days.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is likely to set up a committee to hold an inquiry against the cricketer. It is pertinent to mention here that Shahzad had undergone dope test during domestic matches.

In a press statement, PCB said: “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.”

West Indian cricketer Andre Russell was banned from cricket for one year after being found guilty of a doping violation in his native Jamaica last year. India all-rounder Yusuf Pathan was handed a five-month retroactive suspension for failing a dope test, a sanction which ended on January 14 this year, after the BCCI accepted that the violation was inadvertent.

Published in Daily Times, June 21^st 2018.