From Shoaib Akhtar to Mohammad Nawaz: 8 Pakistani Cricketers Who Failed Dope Test

1. Asim Butt (Early 2000s)

• Substance: Cannabis.
• The Incident: The late pace bowler (who later played for Scotland) became one of the first notable Pakistani players to be sanctioned for a recreational substance after a positive test during a domestic competition.
• Sanction: Received a domestic suspension from the PCB.

2. Shoaib Akhtar (2006)

• Substance: Nandrolone (Anabolic Steroid).
• The Incident: Tested positive during an out-of-competition screening conducted by the PCB ahead of the 2006 Champions Trophy.
• Sanction: Initially handed a two-year ban. However, a three-man appeals tribunal later overturned the ban, citing that he had not been properly warned about the presence of the substance in his protein supplements.

3. Mohammad Asif (2006 & 2008)

• 2006 Incident: Tested positive for Nandrolone alongside Shoaib Akhtar. His initial one-year ban was also overturned on appeal.
• 2008 Incident: Tested positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance during the inaugural season of the IPL while representing Delhi Daredevils.
• Sanction: Handed a one-year ban from all cricket by the IPL’s anti-doping tribunal.

4. Abdur Rehman (2012)

• Substance: Cannabis.
• The Incident: Tested positive for the recreational drug while playing for Somerset in the English County Championship.
• Sanction: Handed a 12-week (3-month) ban by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), which the PCB upheld globally.

5. Raza Hasan (2015)

• Substance: Cocaine.
• The Incident: The left-arm spinner tested positive during a random test conducted during the Pentangular Cup (domestic tournament) in January 2015.
• Sanction: Handed a two-year ban from all forms of cricket by the PCB after a WADA-accredited lab in India confirmed the results.

6. Yasir Shah (2016)

• Substance: Chlortalidone (Diuretic/Masking Agent).
• The Incident: Tested positive following an ICC-conducted test in November 2015.
• Sanction: Handed a three-month suspension. The ICC showed leniency, accepting Shah’s explanation that he had mistakenly ingested his wife’s blood pressure medication.

7. Ahmed Shehzad (2018)

• Substance: Prohibited Substance (reported as Marijuana/Cannabinoids).
• The Incident: Tested positive during a domestic match in the Pakistan Cup in April 2018.
• Sanction: Handed a four-month ban by the PCB for violating the Anti-Doping Rule 2.1.

8. Mohammad Nawaz (2026 Controversy)

• The Incident: Recent reports from the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 suggest that Nawaz is currently under investigation by the ICC anti-doping unit following a sample collection during the tournament’s group stages.
• Current Status: Investigations are ongoing as of late April 2026. No official sanction has been announced, but he remains under the scanner of the world governing body.

Summary Table: Anti-Doping Sanctions