Proteas batter Zubayr Hamza suspended by ICC for doping violation

Dubai, May 17: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday suspended South African batter Zubayr Hamza from all cricket-related activities for nine months after he admitted to an anti-doping rule violation under the world governing body's anti-doping code.

Hamza provided an out-of-competition sample on 17 January 2022 in Paarl, South Africa, in which the prohibited substance Furosemide - which is a specified substance in Section S5 of the 2022 WADA Prohibited List - was found.

He Hamza)admitted the violation and, having established no significant fault or negligence on his part, a nine-month period of ineligibility has been imposed, backdated to 22 March 2022, the date that Hamza accepted a provisional suspension. The effect of this suspension is that Hamza will be eligible to return to cricket on 22 December 2022," the ICC said in a statement.

"In addition, all of Hamza's individual performances between 17 January and 22 March 2022 have been disqualified," it added.

Notably, the time period specified (January 17 and March 22) included a Test match against New Zealand that Hamza featured in February.

"The ICC is committed to keeping cricket clean and has a zero-tolerance approach to doping. It is also a timely reminder to all international cricketers that they remain responsible for anything they put into their bodies, to know exactly what medication they are taking so as to ensure it does not contain a prohibited substance and does not result in an anti-doping rule violation," said Alex Marshall, ICC General Manager - Integrity Unit.

The 26-year-old Hamza has so far played six Tests and one ODI for South Africa.