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ICC provisionally suspend Yasir Shah for testing positive for banned substance

Yasir Shah has taken 49 Test wickets in 7 matches in 2015

Leg spinner Yasir Shah has tested positive for a banned substance called chlortalidone in a dope test conducted last month, and has been suspended from cricket pending further investigation.

Shah's suspension is a major blow to Pakistan cricket, and a shock to the cricket fraternity, especially because he has been one of the best performers in international cricket in recent times.

Shah has taken 16 ODI wickets in 2015, but has had an especially phenomenal run in Tests, taking 49 wickets in 7 matches, only behind Ravi Ashwin, Josh Hazlewood and Stuart Broad, all of whom have played more matches than him.

The 29-year old burst onto the scene this year, having taken more than half of the wickets in his career in this one glorious year. He has been arguably Pakistan’s best cricketer of the year.

Suddenly, however, things have taken a terrible turn, as a result of a random test conducted on the sidelines of an ODI between Pakistan and England last month in the UAE. Shah had also trained with Shane Warne during this period, another legendary leg spinner who had his share of trouble with banned substances.

Suddenly, world cricket stands to lose the best leg spinner on current form, which is in any case, a dying art. While he is provisionally suspended, Yasir cannot play - or be involved in any capacity - international matches, and games organised by any national cricket board or its affiliated members.

Mohammad Asif and Saeed Ajmal had been Pakistan’s highest placed bowlers in ICC Test rankings when they had been suspended, and Yasir Shah’s suspension would only bring back an old nightmare.

Yasir Shah & the Pakistan Cricket Board now have 7 days to confirm to the ICC if they want his ‘B’ sample to be tested. The drug in question is a diuretic, but is also used as a masking agent for other recreational drugs, according to sports medicine experts.

A press release the ICC sent out:

The International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced that Pakistan’s bowler Yasir Shah has been charged with an anti-doping rule violation under the ICC Anti-Doping Code.

The sample Yasir provided in an in-competition test, which was conducted on 13 November 2015, was found to contain the presence of chlortalidone, a Prohibited Substance which appears in Section 5 of the WADA Prohibited List (in the category of Specified Substances).  In accordance with the ICC Anti-Doping Code, pending the outcome of the disciplinary process, Yasir has been provisionally suspended.

The matter will now be dealt with in accordance with the process set down in the Code, and until such time as the process is resolved, the ICC will make no further comment on this matter.

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