South Africa cricketer Zubayr Hamza has tested positive for a banned substance and accepted a voluntary suspension, the Cricket South Africa said on Wednesday. The right-hander tested positive for Furosemide following an International Cricket Council anti-doping test on January 17, 2022. (More Cricket News)
Hamza, who has played six Tests and a One-day International, was named in the white-ball series South African squad against Bangladesh in the ongoing ODI series. But he pulled out before the series started in what CSA described as ‘personal reasons’. (SA vs BAN 3rd ODI Blog)
“Zubayr is not disputing the positive test, is cooperating fully with the ICC and has agreed to a voluntary suspension commencing immediately whilst written submissions are presented to the ICC,” the CSA further said in a statement.
Furosemide, which is on World Anti-Doping Agency’s banned list, is a diuretic and prescribed to treat hypertension and reduce swelling caused by fluid build-up in the body. It has been added in WADA’s banned list because of concerns that it may mask other drugs.
“Furosemide is not a performance-enhancing substance and Zubayr has been able to identify how the substance entered his system,” the CSA added. The last time Hamza played for South Africa was in February in a Test match against New Zealand.
