Zubayr Hamza suspended for nine months for anti-doping breach

The South Africa international tested positive for Furosemide during an out-of-competition test in January 2022

Zubayr Hamza has been suspended for nine months for a doping violation under the ICC’s anti-doping code.

The South Africa international tested positive for Furosemide – a drug on WADA’s list of prohibited substances – during an out-of-competition test on January 17, 2022.

His ban has been backdated to March 22, 2022, the date he accepted a provisional suspension. He will be eligible to return to cricket on December 22, 2022.

^{Hamza's statistics from South Africa's Test against New Zealand in February 2022 will be disqualified [Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images]}

Hamza, a middle-order batter, has made six Test appearances for South Africa since making his debut in 2019, scoring 212 runs at 17.66. He also made one ODI appearances, scoring 56 runs against the Netherlands in November 2021.

However, his individual statistics from South Africa's Test against New Zealand in February 2022 will be disqualified due to the ban.

Commenting on the suspension, Alex Marshall, ICC general manager – integrity unit, said: "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."

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