Pakistan spinner Mohammad Nawaz banned for one month after admitting anti-doping code breach

Pakistan's left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz faces a three-month suspension for violating the International Cricket Council's Anti-Doping Code. The 32-year-old cricketer tested positive for Carboxy-THC, a substance of abuse, following a doping test conducted after the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 match against the Netherlands in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on February 7.

Nawaz has admitted to the offense, acknowledging that the substance was used out-of-competition and was unrelated to enhancing athletic performance. Consequently, the ICC has handed him a three-month period of ineligibility, which commenced on May 1, 2026, the date he began a voluntary provisional suspension.

This period can be reduced to one month if Nawaz successfully completes a substance abuse treatment program approved by the ICC. His provisional suspension has been lifted after he served two and a half months, and subject to his satisfactory completion of the treatment program, he will not be required to serve any further period of ineligibility. Records from the February 7 match and subsequent games until May 1, 2026, have been disqualified as per the ICC Anti-Doping Code.