Imran Butt banned for three months over anti-doping violations

KARACHI: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday officially announced that a three-month period of ineligibility has been imposed on cricketer Imran Butt in a doping matter.

“Under the PCB Anti-Doping Rules 2016 (‘PCB Rules’), a three (03) month period of ineligibility has been imposed on cricketer Imran Butt pursuant to his request for an ‘Agreed Sanction’,” the PCB said in a press release.

The Board said that Imran was provisionally suspended after the presence of a prohibited substance in the A sample collected from him during an in-competition doping test during the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2017 held in Islamabad.

“He was charged with two anti-doping violations of the PCB Rules. Imran accepts that he has committed the violations but not intentionally and with no intent to cheat,” the Board said.“The following ‘Agreed Sanction’ has been imposed on Imran Butt: A period of ineligibility of three (03) months shall be imposed. The period of the provisional suspension shall be credited against the total period of ineligibility, such that the period of ineligibility shall expire at midnight on 6th February 2018,” the Board added.

Chairman PCB, Najam Sethi, emphasized that “PCB has a zero tolerance policy towards doping in cricket and hopes that in future cricketers will exercise utmost care to ensure that no Prohibited Substance enters their bodies”.

The 22-year-old Lahore-born opening batsman is a future prospect. He plays for Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL). He has scored 2843 runs in 48 first-class matches at an average of 34.25. He played his last first-class game against WAPDA in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy in Abbottabad from November 2-5, 2017.