LAHORE: Pakistan left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz has accepted a three-month period of ineligibility for breaching the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Anti-Doping Code, with the sanction set to be reduced to one month if he completes a substance abuse treatment programme.

The 32-year-old tested positive for Carboxy-THC, classified as a Substance of Abuse under the ICC Anti-Doping Code, following a doping test conducted after Pakistan’s T20 World Cup match against the Netherlands in Colombo on Feb 7.

Nawaz admitted the offence and demonstrated that the substance had been used out of competition and in a manner unrelated to sporting performance, the ICC said in a statement on Friday.

The three-month suspension has been backdated to May 1, when Nawaz began serving a voluntary provisional suspension. Having already served two and a half months, his provisional suspension has now been lifted.

Subject to Nawaz completing a substance abuse treatment programme to the ICC’s satisfaction, the sanction will be reduced to one month and he will not be required to serve any further period of ineligibility.

As required under the ICC Anti-Doping Code, Nawaz’s records from the match against the Netherlands and all subsequent matches until May 1 have been disqualified.

Nawaz has represented Pakistan in six Tests, 44 One-day Internationals and 98 T20Is. He was not selected for the ongoing training camp being held in preparation for next year’s World Cup.

Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2026