Pakistan cricketer Nawaz banned after testing positive for cannabis | Cricket

Nawaz admitted to the breach of the rules, saying that the substance was used in an unsportsmanlike manner.

Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz has been cleared by the International Cricket Council (ICC) after testing positive for a cannabis-related drug and has been handed a three-month ban which could be reduced after he completes a rehabilitation programme, the governing body said.

Nawaz admitted the violation and indicated that the drug was used in the competition in an unsportsmanlike manner, the ICC said on Friday.

The 32-year-old tested positive for Carboxy-THC – a metabolite of THC, the psychoactive component in cannabis – later. Pakistan T20 World Cup Match against the Netherlands in February. Carboxy-THC is classified as a Harmful Substance under the ICC’s Anti-Doping Code.

The general manager was suspended for three months, back on May 1, the day he began his intentional suspension.

The ICC said after serving nearly two-and-a-half months under suspension and agreeing to be reinstated, the suspension was lifted.

The governing body added that, in accordance with its anti-doping rules, Nawaz’s record for the Netherlands on February 7 and the subsequent matches till May 1 are not allowed.

Nawaz featured in seven of Pakistan’s T20 Internationals in Sri Lanka this year, from their opening match against the Netherlands to the Super Eights, where they were eliminated. He scored 15 runs and took seven wickets in the tournament.