All-rounder Mohammad Nawaz under scrutiny for alleged recreational drug use

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday investigated Mohammad Nawaz for the alleged use of recreational drugs. The development came after ESPNcricinfo reported that the player had tested positive for recreational drug use. “ ESPNcricinfo has learned that the positive result comes from testing during the T20 World Cup earlier this year, ” the report added. It further added that Nawaz’s deal to join Surrey for the T20 Blast — set to run from May 26 to July 18 — in England had fallen through as a result. The report added that Surrey and the International Cricket Council (ICC) declined to comment on the matter. A spokesperson for the PCB said that the ICC had asked for Nawaz’s medical history to further investigate the incident, which the cricket board had complied with. The PCB spokesperson said that until the ICC issued a final decision, Nawaz would continue to play for the Multan Sultans in the ongoing Pakistan Super League. In the past, two pacers — Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif — had faced two- and one-year bans, respectively, after failing drug tests prior to their participation in the ICC Champions Trophy in 2006. Former Test spinner Yasir Shah had also received a three-month ban for failing a dope test in 2015.

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