Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz sanctioned after cannabis-related positive test
Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Nawaz has received a three-month suspension from the ICC after testing positive for a cannabis-related substance. The ban is backdated to May 1, and the player has agreed to undergo a rehabilitation program.
Why it matters
This highlights the strict enforcement of anti-doping regulations in international sports and the specific classification of cannabis metabolites as substances of abuse.
Mohammad Nawaz has been sanctioned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) after testing positive for a cannabis-related substance, the governing body said on Friday (July 17, 2026), with the Pakistan all-rounder being handed a three-month ban that can be reduced upon completion of a rehabilitation programme.
The 32-year-old tested positive for Carboxy-THC —a metabolite of THC, the psychoactive component in cannabis—after Pakistan's Twenty20 World Cup match against the Netherlands in February.
Carboxy-THC is classified as a Substance of Abuse under the ICC's Anti-Doping Code.
Nawaz admitted the violation and demonstrated that the substance had been used out of competition in a manner unrelated to sporting performance, the ICC said.
The all-rounder was handed a three-month suspension, backdated to May 1, the date he started a voluntary provisional suspension.
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