The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is investigating all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz following reports that he tested positive for recreational drug use.
According to a report by ESPNcricinfo the positive test allegedly occurred during the T20 World Cup earlier this year. As a result, Nawaz’s planned deal with the English county side Surrey for the upcoming T20 Blast has reportedly fallen through. Both Surrey and the International Cricket Council (ICC) have so far declined to comment on the matter.
A PCB spokesperson confirmed that the ICC has requested Nawaz’s medical history as part of an ongoing inquiry and the board has complied. For now Nawaz is permitted to continue playing for the Multan Sultans in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) until a final decision is reached by the ICC.
This incident follows a history of doping-related bans in Pakistan cricket including those of pacers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif in 2006 and spinner Yasir Shah in 2015.
