Pakistan spin-bowling all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz has been handed a three-month period of ineligibility by the International Cricket Council for breaching the Anti-Doping Code, with the suspension backdated to May 1, 2026.
However, the sanction will be reduced to one month if he completes a substance-of-abuse rehabilitation programme approved by the ICC, allowing him to make an earlier return to cricket.
According to a press statement issued by the ICC, the 32-year-old had tested positive for a Substance of Abuse (Carboxy-THC) under the ICC Anti-Doping Code following a doping test carried out after Pakistan’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 match against the Netherlands in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on February 7 this year.
The ICC clarified that the case involved a Substance of Abuse and that the substance was not taken for sporting advantage. Nawaz’s eligibility to return to cricket will depend on the successful completion of the required rehabilitation process.
“Nawaz has accepted a three-month period of ineligibility,” the ICC said and added that the suspension period “will be reduced to one month on completion of a substance of abuse treatment programme for breaching the ICC Anti-Doping Code”.
The ICC confirmed that Nawaz admitted to the offence and demonstrated that the substance had been used out-of-competition, in a manner unrelated to sport performance.
Under the ICC Anti-Doping Code, the violation resulted in a three-month suspension, which has been backdated to May 1, 2026, the date he began a voluntary provisional suspension.
However, the suspension can be reduced to one month if Nawaz successfully completes a substance-of-abuse rehabilitation programme to the ICC’s satisfaction. Having already served around two and a half months of provisional suspension, Nawaz’s ban effectively allows him to return once the rehabilitation requirement is fulfilled.
If he does not complete the programme, the full three-month ineligibility period would run until August 1, 2026.
As part of the sanction, Nawaz’s records from Pakistan’s match against the Netherlands on February 7, 2026, along with his performances in subsequent matches until May 1, have been disqualified in accordance with the ICC Anti-Doping Code.
