Pakistan cricketer Nawaz sanctioned after cannabis-related positive test

What the report says

Al Jazeera, carrying a Reuters report, said Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz has been sanctioned by the International Cricket Council after returning a positive test for a cannabis-related substance. The ICC said the 32-year-old accepted the anti-doping breach and showed the substance was used outside competition and not for enhancing sporting performance.

According to the report, Nawaz tested positive for Carboxy-THC, a metabolite linked to THC, after Pakistan’s men’s T20 World Cup match against the Netherlands in February. The ICC classifies Carboxy-THC as a “Substance of Abuse” under its anti-doping code. Nawaz received a three-month suspension, backdated to May 1, when he began a voluntary provisional suspension.

The ICC said the suspension can be reduced through completion of a rehabilitation programme. After Nawaz had served about two and a half months of the provisional ban and agreed to rehabilitation, the governing body lifted the provisional suspension, Al Jazeera reported. The ICC also disqualified his records from the February 7 Netherlands match and from later matches through May 1, in line with its rules.

The case matters because it affects the official record of a senior Pakistan player during a global tournament and illustrates how cricket’s anti-doping framework treats cannabis-related violations differently when they are deemed unrelated to performance. Nawaz played all seven of Pakistan’s matches at the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka, where Pakistan were knocked out in the Super Eights. He made 15 runs and took seven wickets during the competition.