What's next for Mohammad Shahzad?

Star Afghanistan batsman Mohammad Shahzad has found his name in a very unwanted news in the recent times. Shahzad was charged for violating the ICC Anti-Doping Code by the International Cricket Council (ICC). The news has sent shockwaves across the upcoming cricketing nation Afghanistan. His fans are left disappointed and many can still not believe what has perspired in the last few days.

Over the last few years, Shahzad has emerged as one of the finest and most attacking batsmen in the shortest format of the game. He has a T20I century to his name and that explains his mettle with the willow. However, the recent controversy as certainly ended up being a dark blotch for his career.

Here is an overview of the entire episode, what Shahzad has in store for him, the things he can do now, and the impact on Afghanistan cricket:

Overview of the breach:

On April 13, the ICC announced that they have charged Mohammad Shahzad has been charged for violating an anti-doping rule. A test that was conducted on 17 January 2017 at the ICC Academy (Dubai) saw Shahzad’s sample contain some prohibited substance. The test was conducted at the academy and was subsequently analyzed at the WADA-accredited laboratory in the Salt Lake City.

The sample that Shahzad provided was an out-of-competition substance that contained Clenbuterol. It is one of the numerous prohibited substances that are listed in Section 1.2 in the category of anabolic agents of the WADA Prohibited List.

What is in store for Shahzad now?

In this peculiar case, the Afghanistan wicket-keeper batsman will have the following considerations. Shahzad is set to be provisionally suspended due to his disciplinary breach. The suspension will come into effect from 26 April 2017. The only way Shahzad can avoid the suspension is he goes on to exercise his right to challenge the provisional suspension.

Steps to follow in the case

Mohammad Shahzad has to reply to the ICC if he wants to goes against the call. He will have the right to request that another sample of him must be analyzed. This has to be done from within five days from the date on which the charge was notified.

There will be a provisional hearing and Shahzad can challenge his imposition of the provisional suspension. This has to be done withing the 12 days from the date he was notified about the charge. In this case, the provisional suspension will not stand valid unless the challenge is determined.

If the player decides not to challenge the imposition, the provisional suspension will commence on the 26 April 2017.

In any case, Shahzad has to reply to the ICC within 14 days of being charged. If he fails to respond, it will be deemed as Shahzad has accepted his violation of the anti-doping rule.

Impact on Afghanistan Cricket

The Afghanistan cricket has surely been dented by the news of Shahzad. Given the fact that they are one of the most successful associate nation in the recent times, the news is definitely not a fruitful one for them. Having said that, the team has some budding talents who can surely step up when there is a need. Meanwhile, they can only hope that their local hero gets relief from this infamy.