Shahidul banned for 10 months after testing positive for dope test
Bangladesh pacer Shahidul Islam has been banned from all cricket activities for 10 months after testing positive for dope. He has violated Article 2.1 of the ICC Anti-Doping Code.
In a press release, ICC said that Shahidul provided the urine sample as part of the out-of-tournament program on March 4. Clomiphene, a banned substance, was found in that sample.
ICC says that Shahidul did not consume the drug intentionally. Shahidul took a legally prescribed medication for another illness, but it contained clomiphene. The ICC did not find any willful ‘negligence or fault’ on the part of Shahidul in the whole affair. Shahidul was able to convince the ICC that he did not do this to increase his performance.
However, as the reason behind banning Shahidul, ICC said, “Shahidul has accepted that he has failed to fulfill the responsibility assigned to him due to anti-doping rules as an international cricketer.”
According to BCB sources, Shahidul had taken the medicine due to illness. However, he did not have any discussion with BCB about the arrangement letter given to him at that time. Later it was found that the drug is banned.
Shahidul has played one international match for Bangladesh so far. He played the T20 match against Pakistan in November last year. After that, he was in the team for the tour of New Zealand and South Africa but did not play the match. Shahidul was also in the Bangladesh team for the ongoing West Indies tour. However, due to injury, he dropped before the tour.
The 27-year-old pacer accepted the 10-month ban, the ICC said. Shahidul voluntarily agreed to the interim ban on May 28. His main ban will also start from that day. As a result, he can return to cricket on March 28 next year.
Before Shahidul, the last time a Bangladeshi cricketer was banned after testing positive for dope was in July 2020. At that time Anik Islam was banned for two years. Though he was banned by BCBE. And South African batsman Zubair Hamza was banned as the last international cricketer before Shahidul. He was banned for nine months last May.
