The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has banned the opener Ahmed Shehzad for four months from the international and domestic cricket – for consumption of a prohibited substance.

The ban is effective from July 10, 2018, and that means Shehzad can return to the cricket from November 11, 2018. According to the PCB release, on 10th July 2018, PCB issued a Notice of Charge to Shehzad for the presence of a prohibited substance in his Sample that was collected during the Pakistan Cup 2018. From that time, Shehzad was provisionally suspended as he was charged with two anti-doping violations of the PCB Anti-Doping Rules 2016.

On Friday, the PCB release stated, “A four (04) month period of ineligibility, commencing from the date of his Provisional Suspension, i.e. 10th July 2018, has been imposed on Shehzad. Additionally, as a part of his rehabilitation process Ahmad shall also deliver lectures on anti-doping to such audiences and at such places as the PCB may require.”

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The release also stated that Shehzad accepted that he had committed those violations but had no intention to cheat or enhance his performance.

PCB chairman Ehsan Mani said on this matter, “PCB has a zero tolerance policy towards doping in cricket and hopes that in future cricketers will exercise utmost care to ensure that no Prohibited Substances enter their system.”

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Last time, Shehzad played for the national team during Pakistan tour of Scotland for the two-match T20I series in this June. In fact, Shehzad has played only four T20Is for Pakistan cricket team in this calendar year (2018). Last time he played the Test and ODI in 2017.

The 26-year-old right-handed opening batsman has played 13 Tests, 81 ODIs and 57 T20Is for Pakistan where he has scored 982 runs (average 40.91), 2,605 runs (average 32.56) and 1,454 runs (average 26.43) respectively.