Pakistan’s leg-spinner Yasir Shah was on Sunday provisionally suspended for failing a dope test by the International Cricket Council.
Pakistan’s leg-spinner Yasir Shah was on Sunday provisionally suspended for failing a dope test by the International Cricket Council.
“Shah has been charged with an anti-doping rule violation on a sample he provided in an in-competition test,” an ICC statement announced.
“The test, conducted on 13 November 2015, was found to contain the presence of chlortalidone, a Prohibited Substance which appears in Section 5 of the World Anti-Doping Agency list (in the category of Specified Substances).”
“In accordance with the ICC Anti-Doping Code, pending the outcome of the disciplinary process, Yasir has been provisionally suspended,” said the ICC.
The 29-year-old has emerged as a match-winner for Pakistan since ace spinner Saeed Ajmal’s action was reported and subsequently lost his wicket-taking ability with a remodelled action.
Shah took 12 wickets in Pakistan’s 2-0 win against Australia last year before playing a key role in this year’s 2-1 Test series win in Sri Lanka with 24 wickets.
A month before he was tested (October 12) Shah had fallen down while bowling in the nets in his follow through and had to miss the first Test against England in Abu Dhabi with a back problem.
He returned for the second and third Tests, taking 15 wickets to help Pakistan beat England 2-0 and was tested during the one-day series.
Shah has so far taken 76 wickets in 12 Tests and became the fastest to complete 50 wickets in nine Tests — a record for Pakistan.
He has also played 15 one-day internationals and two Twenty20s after making his debut in 2011.The latest doping issue came after Sri Lankan wicketkeeper batsman Kusal Prera tested positive for a banned substance earlier this month.
Perera faces a lengthy ban from international cricket with his B sample understood to have also tested positive.
The tainted cricketers
Shane Warne was sent home a day before the 2003 World Cup. He was banned for a year from the game after a drug test on him during an ODI series in Australia showed a positive result for a banned diuretic.
Ian Botham was suspended for smoking cannabis in 1986. The former all-rounder admitted to the same during a newspaper interview, which led to him being suspended for two months.
Stephen Fleming was found guilty of using marijuana in 1993-94. Danny Morrison reported the incident to the team management and he was fined $175. He was banned for a brief period.
In 2006, fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif were banned for two years and one year respectively after both were found guilty of using the banned anabolic steroid nandrolone. Both were absolved by a tribunal because the tests were conducted out of competition. Upul Tharanga, the SL opening batsman was banned for three months in 2011 for a doping violation. He pleaded guilty after claiming he had ingested the banned substance in a herbal remedy. Kusal Perera faced suspension after testing positive for a banned substance in early December this year. And he may face a lengthy ban from international cricket with his B sample also testing positive a couple of days ago. Raza Hasan, the Pakistan left-arm spinner, was banned for two years from playing any form of cricket after being tested positive for a prohibited substance in a national competition.
Pradeep Sangwan In 2013, the BCCI banned Delhi and Kolkata Knight Riders pacer for failing a dope test during the sixth edition of the Indian Premier League.
