Zubayr Hamza, the South Africa batter, has tested positive for a prohibited substance under the International Cricket Council (ICC) anti-doping code and has agreed to a voluntary suspension, Cricket South Africa said in a statement on Wednesday (March 23). The positive result came to light following ICC's anti-doping test which was done on January 17. Hamza tested positive for the substance Furosemide. Furosemide is a diuretic, prescribed to treat hypertension and reduce swelling caused by fluid build-up in the body. It is on the World Anti-Doping Agency's banned list because of concerns that it may mask other drugs.
"Zubayr is not disputing the positive test, is cooperating fully with the ICC and has agreed to a voluntary suspension commencing immediately whilst written submissions are presented to the ICC," said CSA. "Furosemide is not a performance-enhancing substance and Zubayr has been able to identify how the substance entered his system. "Hamza was named in the South African squad for a current one-day series against Bangladesh but withdrew before the series started for what CSA described at the time as "personal reasons". Hamza, who made his Test debut in January 2019, has played six Tests and one ODI till date.
