Bangladesh speedster Qazi Onik handed two-year ban

Bangladesh fast bowler Qazi Onik has been banned for two years. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) handed him the ban after he failed a dope test during a 2018 National Cricket League (NCL) match in Cox’s Bazar. He was tested positive for Methamphetamine and he accepted his offence for violating the anti-doping rule where he resorted to using the prohibited substance.

His ban started from February 8, 2019 when he was found guilty after which the pacer accepted a provincial suspension. The left-arm speedster can, therefore, take part in cricketing activities from February 7, 2021. Methamphetamine is prohibited under section S6a of the 2018 ICC Prohibited list and under the BCB Anti-Doping code 2.1.

BCB releases statement on Qazi Onik

“ln Mr Onik’s case in considering his level of Fault, the BCB has considered his youth and relative inexperience, the fact that he did not ingest the Prohibited Substance in an effort to enhance his sport performance, his limited anti-doping education and his prompt admission of the anti-doping rule violation when first notified to him,” the BCB was quoted as saying in a statement.

“ln addition to this, in considering the appropriate sanction, the BCB is giving him credit for agreeing an outcome that avoids the need for a hearing and so saves considerable time and money for use elsewhere in the fight against doping.

“ln light of all of this, the BCB considers that a period of ineligibility of two (2) years is reasonable and proportionate in respect of Mr Onik’s case,” the statement added.

Onik was Bangladesh’s leading wicket-taker in the 2018 U19 World Cup in New Zealand. There he picked up 10 wickets from six matches at a decent economy rate of 4.58. On the back of the decent performances, he was picked to play for the Dhaka Dynamites, now Platoon, in the 2019 edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

There he got to play under the leadership of Shakib Al Hasan. Though he didn’t play a whole lot of games, he gave a good account of himself. In four first-class, 26 List A and nine T20s, Onik has 15, 41 and 11 wickets respectively. His last competitive match was on April 21, 2019, representing Mohammedan Sporting Club against Prime Bank Cricket Club in the Dhaka Premier League.