SA Batter Zubayr Hamza Handed 9-Month Ban By ICC For Doping Violation

South African batter Zubayr Hamza was suspended for a period of nine months after he was caught violating an anti-doping rule under the ICC Anti-Doping Code, the council confirmed in a statement on Tuesday.

Hamza submitted a sample on January 17, 2022, in Paarl, South Africa, in which Furosemide, a prohibited substance in Section S5 of the 2022 WADA Prohibited List, was found.

“He admitted the violation and, having established no significant fault or negligence on his part, a nine-month period of ineligibility has been imposed, backdated to 22 March 2022, the date that Hamza accepted a provisional suspension. The effect of this suspension is that Hamza will be eligible to return to cricket on 22 December 2022,” the ICC statement further read.

“It is also a timely reminder to all international cricketers” – ICC GM on Zubayr Hamza ban

ICC General Manager of the Integrity Unit, Alex Marshall, released a statement reiterating the apex council’s stand on anti-doping and said it is a reminder for the players to be wary of what they consume.

“The ICC is committed to keeping cricket clean and has a zero-tolerance approach to doping. It is also a timely reminder to all international cricketers that they remain responsible for anything they put into their bodies.”

“And to know exactly what medication they are taking so as to ensure it does not contain a prohibited substance and does not result in an anti-doping rule violation,” Marshall stated.

Notably, any and all of Hamza’s participation in cricketing activities between January 17 and March 22 have been nullified. The 26-year-old has played six Tests for SA and scored 212 runs at an average of 17.66. He is yet to break into the white-ball squads of the Proteas team.

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