ICC Suspends Pakistan's Mohammad Nawaz For Three Months For Substance Abuse

Pakistan left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz has accepted a three-month period of ineligibility (which will be reduced to one month on completion of a substance of abuse treatment programme) for breaching the ICC Anti-Doping Code.

The 32-year-old tested positive for a Substance of Abuse (Carboxy-THC) under the ICC Anti-Doping Code following a doping test carried out after the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 match against the Netherlands in Colombo, Sri Lanka on 7 February.

Nawaz admitted the offence and demonstrated that the substance had been used out-of-competition and in a manner unrelated to sport performance.

As a result, he has been handed a three-month period of ineligibility, backdated to 1 May 2026, being the date he started a voluntary provisional suspension, and reduced to one-month on the completion of a substance of abuse treatment programme.

Further to accepting the sanction and committing to the substance of abuse treatment programme, Nawaz’s provisional suspension has been lifted after having served a two and a half (2 ½) month suspension.

Subject to Nawaz completing a substance of abuse treatment programme to the ICC’s satisfaction, Nawaz will not be required to serve any further period of ineligibility.

As required by the ICC Anti-Doping Code, Nawaz’s records from the match against the Netherlands on 7 February and in subsequent matches until 1 May 2026 have been disqualified.

Published on: Friday, July 17, 2026, 02:28 PM IST