The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday slapped a four-month ban on opening batsman Ahmad Shehzad, effective from July 10, 2018, after he was found guilty of violating the board’s anti-doping rules.

Shehzad was provisionally suspended and subsequently issued a notice of charge by the PCB on July 10, 2018, for the “presence of a prohibited substance in his sample which was collected through an in-competition doping test during the Pakistan Cup 2018”, said a PCB spokesperson.

The batsman was charged with two anti-doping violations of the PCB Anti-Doping Rules 2016 (PCB Rules). Shehzad accepts that he has committed the violations of the PCB rules, but insists that he had no intent to cheat or enhance his performance.

“Pursuant to a request from Shehzad, agreed sanctions under Article 8.6 of the PCB rules have been reached,” the spokesperson said, adding that a “four-month period of ineligibility, commencing from the date of his provisional suspension has been imposed” on the opening batsman.

Additionally, as a part of his rehabilitation process, Shehzad shall also deliver lectures on anti-doping to such audiences and at such places as the PCB may require, said the PCB spokesperson.

The public decision containing the detailed agreed sanctions will also be uploaded on PCB's official website. PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani said, “PCB has a zero-tolerance policy towards doping in cricket and hopes that in future the cricketers will exercise utmost care to ensure that no prohibited substances enter their system.”