Ahmed Shehzad Handed Four-Month Doping Ban By PCB

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), on Thursday, banned batsman Ahmed Shehzad for four month for violating the board’s anti-doping rules.

Ahmed Shehzad has received a four-month from the PCB for doping violations.  The ban will be effective from July 10, 2018 as this was the date when the PCB provisionally suspended him after a random dope test conducted during the Pakistan Cup domestic tournament returned a positive result for a prohibited substance. The ban will end on November 10.

He had been given time until July 18 to advise whether he wished to have his B Sample tested, and until July 27 to respond to the charges levelled against him.

The batsman was was charged with two violations of the PCB’s anti-doping rules. He has admitted to the violations. However, he has said he did not want to enhance his performance by taking the prohibited substance. Shehzad, meanwhile, will also have to give  anti-doping lectures “to such audiences and at such places as the PCB may require”, as part of his rehabilitation process.

“Cricketer, Ahmed Shehzad [sic] was Provisionally Suspended and was issued a Notice of Charge by PCB on 10th July 2018 for the presence of a Prohibited Substance in his Sample which was collected through an In-Competition doping test during the Pakistan Cup 2018. Ahmed was charged with two anti-doping violations of the PCB Anti-Doping Rules 2016” said the PCB release.

The ban will be the latest setback for Shehzad whose stop-start career just keeps on getting into trouble. In August, he could not get a central contract from the PCB.  Shehzad, who has played 13 Tests, 81 ODIs and 57 T20Is so far for Pakistan, has also lost his place in the team. He last played for Pakistan during the  T20I series in Ireland earlier this year.

“PCB has a zero tolerance policy towards doping in cricket and hopes that in future cricketers will exercise utmost care to ensure that no Prohibited Substances enter their system,” PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani said.