# ICC Hands Pakistan All-Rounder Mohammad Nawaz Three-Month Ban for Anti-Doping Code Breach

**By Arjun Mehta**  \nPublished July 28, 2026  \nUpdated July 28, 2026

> Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz has accepted a three-month ICC suspension after testing positive for Carboxy-THC, with his records from February through May 2026 disqualified.

When the International Cricket Council announced its disciplinary ruling regarding Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz, the procedural outcome immediately reshaped the statistical ledger of Pakistan's recent white-ball campaign. The 32-year-old left-arm spinner accepted a three-month period of ineligibility after breaching the ICC Anti-Doping Code, a sanction formally backdated to May 1, 2026, when his voluntary provisional suspension began.

The violation stems from a doping test administered in Colombo, Sri Lanka, following Pakistan's ICC Men's T20 World Cup group-stage match against the Netherlands on February 7, 2026. According to the governing body's findings, Nawaz tested positive for Carboxy-THC, a metabolite of THC classified under the ICC Anti-Doping Code as a Substance of Abuse. Both the player and official statements established that the substance had been consumed out of competition in a manner entirely unrelated to enhancing sporting performance.

Under the parameters of the regulatory framework, the initial three-month ban carries a provision for reduction. Because Nawaz admitted the offense, cooperated, and agreed to complete a substance of abuse treatment programme, the penalty is effectively shortened to one month. Having already served two and a half months under his provisional suspension, Nawaz has had that restriction lifted. Provided he completes the rehabilitation program to the satisfaction of the ICC, he will not be required to serve any additional time.

The logistical consequence of the ruling extends deeply into official scorecards and individual records. In accordance with anti-doping regulations, all of Nawaz's personal records from the February 7 match against the Netherlands and subsequent fixtures leading up to May 1, 2026, have been officially disqualified. While the underlying match results and team outcomes remain unaltered, any individual runs, wickets, or statistics accrued by Nawaz during this window are stripped from his career register.

This disqualification period encompasses Pakistan's entire run at the T20 World Cup, where Nawaz featured in all seven matches—including the high-profile group fixture against India where he went wicketless—finishing the tournament with seven wickets at an average of 22.28 alongside 15 total runs as Pakistan exited in the Super Eights stage. The affected timeline also wipes out his subsequent domestic stint in the Pakistan Super League with the Multan Sultans, during which he claimed six wickets across 10 matches.

Nawaz, who has represented Pakistan across six Test matches—his most recent appearance in the five-day format coming four years ago against England in Multan—remains a core fixture of the nation's limited-overs setup. Across his career, he has accumulated 150 wickets in 44 ODIs and 98 T20 internationals using his left-arm spin, alongside 538 ODI runs and 911 T20 runs. With his provisional suspension lifted and rehabilitation commitments underway, the all-rounder faces a clear pathway back to active contention once the administrative sequence concludes.

## Sources

- [Team Sportstar](https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cricket/mohammad-nawaz-icc-doping-ban-pakistan-spinner-t20-world-cup-2026/article71233268.ece) — original
- [Reuters](https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2026/7/17/pakistan-cricketer-nawaz-sanctioned-after-cannabis-related-positive-test) — original
- [wtop.com](https://wtop.com/sports/2026/07/icc-hands-pakistan-all-rounder-nawaz-3-month-ban-for-breaching-anti-doping-code-backdated-to-may/) — original
- [wisden.com](https://www.wisden.com/series/icc-mens-t20-world-cup-2026/cricket-news/pakistan-spinners-2026-t20-world-cup-records-disqualified-after-anti-doping-breach-mohammad-nawaz) — original
- [Associated Press Fri, July 17, 2026 at 12:28 PM UTC · 1 min read](https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/icc-hands-pakistan-rounder-nawaz-122824528.html) — original
- [icc](https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/pakistan-spinner-sanctioned-for-breaching-icc-anti-doping-code) — original
- [apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/pakistan-mohammad-nawaz-ban-cricket-1cb39acb2be160cff3913f815f583897) — original