Pakistan spin-bowling all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz has accepted a three-month period of ineligibility after breaching the ICC Anti-Doping Code. The sanction follows a positive test for Carboxy-THC, a metabolite of cannabis classified as a Substance of Abuse under the governing body’s regulations. The test was conducted after Pakistan’s Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 fixture against the Netherlands in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on February 7.
The 32-year-old cricketer admitted to the anti-doping rule violation and successfully demonstrated to authorities that the substance had been consumed out-of-competition in a manner entirely unrelated to sports performance.
Because Nawaz co-operated fully and demonstrated no performance-enhancing intent, his initial three-month ban was backdated to May 1, 2026, which marks the date he voluntarily entered a provisional suspension. Furthermore, the ICC agreed to reduce the total period of ineligibility to just one month upon his successful completion of an approved substance abuse treatment programme.
Having already served two and a half months under the provisional suspension and committing to the rehabilitation timeline, Nawaz has had his provisional suspension officially lifted. Provided he completes the treatment programme to the satisfaction of the ICC, the all-rounder will not be required to serve the remaining portion of the three-month ban.
However, in strict compliance with the ICC Anti-Doping Code, all of Nawaz’s individual playing records from the February 7 match against the Netherlands up until May 1, 2026, have been formally disqualified.
