Mohammad Shahzad suspended by ICC

Afghanistan wicket-keeper batsman Mohammad Shahzad has been suspended by the International Cricket Council on the grounds of violating doping rules. The 29-year-old was tested in a test conducted at the ICC Academy in Dubai almost three months ago and the results were analysed at the WADA-accredited laboratory in Salt Lake City.

The test results revealed that the sample contained a prohibited substance called clenbuterol, a substance that comes under the category of anabolic agents. Anabolic steroids are steroidal androgens that include natural androgens like testosterone as well as synthetic substances that are structurally related and have similar effects to testosterone.

As for now, he will be provisionally suspended the governing cricketing body in accordance with the Anti-Doping code and the suspension will come into effect from 26 April 2017.

This comes as a body blow to the Afghanistan cricket team who have turned over a new leaf over the past few years and are competing against the top sides and giving them a run for their money. They are also on the verge of receiving test status from the ICC.

Extra Cover: 5 reasons why Afghanistan deserve Test status at the earliest

Shehzad who opens the batting for Afghanistan is their leading run scorer and one of their most prolific batsmen. He is an extremely attacking batsman and his style of batting has entertained fans over the world.

He has featured in 58 One Day Internationals and the same number of T20 Internationals in a career which has spanned over 8 years having made his debut back in 2009 against Netherlands.

In ODIs he has scored 1901 runs at an average of 33.94 with 9 half centuries and 4 centuries to his name. On the other hand, has scored 1779 runs at an average of 32.34 with 12 half centuries and a solitary century to his name.

Earlier this year in January, Shahzad broke Virat Kohli’s record of scoring the maximum number of half-centuries in a single ICC Tournament.

Shahzad ended the Desert T20 challenge with 4 fifties to his name, breaking Kohli’s record of three, which was set in the World T20 held in India last year. The Afghani also became the first batsman to score two half-centuries on the same day when he scored 80 against Oman in the semifinals in the afternoon on the same day as the finals.