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Pakistan spinner banned for doping

Raza Hasan suspended for two years after failing drug test in local tournament

Pakistan's cricket board has banned left-arm spinner Raza Hasan, who played one one-day international and 10 Twenty20 matches for the national side, for two years after he failed a drugs test in a domestic competition.

"Hasan has been banned for two years on a failed dope test, making him ineligible to participate in cricket," a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) statement said on Monday.

The PCB said that for the period of his ban, "Hasan will not entitled to take part in any capacity, in any cricket match or activity... authorised or organised by the PCB," except for approved anti-doping education or rehabilitation programmes.

The PCB conducted random testing during a domestic tournament in January and sent Hasan's samples to a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accredited laboratory in India.

The PCB did not name the banned substance but Pakistani media last month reported Hasan was under investigation for using cocaine.

Hasan, 22, featured in a one-off Twenty20 international against Australia in Dubai in December before making his one-day debut against the same opponents at the same venue a few days later.

He took one wicket in the only one-day international he played in and has taken 10 in Twenty20 cricket.

It is not the first time that a Pakistan player has failed a drug test. In 2006, during the ICC Champions Trophy in India, Pakistan pace duo Mohammad Asif and Shoaib Akhtar were sent back from India after they were tested positive for nandrolone in testing conducted by the PCB. 

The former was initially banned for one year and the latter for two years but PCB later removed ban on both the players and they toured South Africa at start of 2007, but neither was deemed fit to play in that year's World Cup in the Caribbean.

A year later Asif was again tested positive for a banned substance during in the inaugural edition of Indian Premier League where he was playing for Delhi Dardevils, where he again received a one-year ban from cricket.