Big Names in Cricket Who Were Banned After Failing Dope Tests

Image Source : Getty Images

The suspension of the legend of spin came to a shock in the cricket world. Just before the 2003 World Cup, Warne tested positive for a banned diuretic, claiming he'd taken his mother's "fluid tablet" to improve his appearance.  First, he was taking one pill of Moduretic; then two. The Australian Cricket Board anti-doping panel had termed his testimony as vague and inconsistent.

Alleged to have doped using outlawed procedures, Warne was given a one-year suspension, which was fined by the possibility of two-year imprisonment since the substance would not actually improve field performance. The panel did not find evidence that showed the diuretic was related to steroid masking, medical professionals affirmed that steroids would have done no good in helping him recover his shoulder injury. This scandal dented the reputation of Warne in the short run, although his legendary image eventually weathered the scandal.

Also Read | IPL 2025's Biggest Moments & Controversies Till Match 12

2. Shoaib Akhtar (Pakistan) - Cleared After Appeal

Image Source : ESPN

The Rawalpindi Express had threats of being ruined in 2006. Akhtar and Mohammad Asif were found to have performance-enhancing drugs prior to the Pakistan champions trophy opening match against Sri Lanka in Jaipur. They were both instantly revoked, and sent home in disgrace. But they were later vindicated by the appeal panel who overturned the original findings.

The World Anti-Doping Agency was not happy with this and appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to have the verdict of the Pakistan Cricket Board revised but this was in support of ICC. However, in July 2007, CAS dismissed the case outright as the court found it had no jurisdiction to interfere with the internal workings of PCB.

With this court victory, Akhtar got to keep his provocative yet high-profile career going on. The case brought to a fore the conflict between the international anti-doping agencies and national cricket bodies on preventative measures and areas of jurisdiction.

3. Mohammad Asif (Pakistan) - One Year

Image Source : Getty Images

Doping issues were a nightmare to Asif who had a bitter career. This is the test that the wonderful pacer flunked in the very first season of the IPL this year when he was playing with the Delhi Daredevils. Upon his guilty verdict, the IPL Drug Tribunal that was led by legal expert Shirish Gupte and composed of Sunil Gavaskar issued a one-year ban.

Asif stated that he had no knowledge and he had taken the substance without knowing that it was in eye drops to treat his allergy. In the past, he had been caught with a steroid (anabolic steroid known as nandrolone) during the champions trophy 2006, and his ban was overturned, generating controversy.

His ills were not limited to doping, in June 2008 Dubai airport authorities charged him with 19 days of imprisonment after they found 0.24 grams of opium in his possession. These scandals that occurred continuously ruined what otherwise had been a great global career.

4. Yusuf Pathan (India) - Five Months

Image Source : AFP

The strong all-rounder of India was under a five months retrospective suspension which ended January 14, 2018. The BCCI agreed with the idea that the violation of Pathan was unintentional: he had taken the cough syrup with terbutaline in it without actually realising that it was prohibited.

Pathan contributed a urine sample during one of the domestic T20 competitions on March 16, 2017, to undergo the routine anti-doping tests. The laboratory test found a particular substance prohibited during and out of competition in the Prohibited List by WADA: terbutaline. The explanation used by the 36-year old was convincing enough to the extent that the authorities looked the other cheek.

The BCCI released an official statement saying that Mr Pathan had accidentally swallowed an item that was banned and could be found in cough syrups. This case beamed to light the ease at which professional athletes break anti-doping laws unknowingly using the most general drugs.

5. Prithvi Shaw (India) - Eight Months

Image Source : PTI

The biggest doping scandal in Indian cricket took place in July 2019, when the most promising opener was banned in eight months. Devastating news. During the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament in February, Shaw tested positive on a test of terbutaline, saying that he had unintentionally drunk cough syrup at the suggestion of his father.

The 19 year old who had made a century on his Test debut against West Indies has confessed the violation but claimed that this was unintentional. Terbutaline is a component of 95% cough syrups and this is his first offence, explained an official of the BCCI.

The suspension Shaw received was dated back, March 16 to November 15, 2019, keeping him out of series with Bangladesh and South Africa. His emotional quote was that he had made a mistake: I did not adhere to the protocol on being cautious on taking a basic over the counter cough syrup. The episode was a lesson to young athletes.

6. Ahmed Shehzad (Pakistan) - Four Months

Image Source : Getty Images

Pakistan's controversial batsman was banned four months in the year 2018 due to anti-doping offences. In July, the PCB provisionally suspended Shehzad on account of his urine sample, that was tested at the Pakistan Cup domestic tournament, being found to contain a banned drug, although which specific drug was not disclosed publicly.

The 26-year-old pleaded guilty to the infraction but claimed that he did not intend to cheat or improve his performance with the help of artificial resources. Since this was part of rehabilitation, Shehzad was compelled to give anti-doping lectures whenever PCB needed him to create awareness among the young cricketers.

This case showed that even the international players who had a long history were unable to evade the effects of the doping cases, whether they intended to do so or not. This tarnished the reputation of Shehzad and it became another controversy in his already controversial career with disciplinary problems and inconsistent results at international level.

7. Yasir Shah (Pakistan) - Provisionally Suspended

Image Source : AP Photos

In 2015, the ICC provisionally suspended the brilliant leg-spinner on account of him failing a dope test, which came as a roadblock to his career. His sample was taken during the ODI series that Pakistan was playing against England on 13 November 2015, and included chlortalidone, a Prohibited Substance under WADA, which is included in Section 5 of the Specified Substances category.

The world body formally announced that bowler, Yasir Shah, Pakistan has violated an ICC Anti-Doping Rule. The ban saw Shah miss out on the Asia Cup and ICC World T20 which are very important events to the bowling department in Pakistan. The lack of him crippled Pakistan at the time. Although his defense and the ultimate solution went less publicized than other cases, the incident made everyone remember that even the best players in the world should be always on the alert regarding the substances that get into their systems.

8. Upul Tharanga (Sri Lanka) - Six Months

Image Source : AFP

The opener of Sri Lanka was the first cricketer of his country to lose a dope test at the 2011 world cup. A shocking revelation. Tharanga was positive in prednisolone, which is an asthma drug and which he actually required in his respiratory complication.

He alleged that a renowned medical doctor, who had worked with Indian star Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir and Ashish Nehra, prescribed medicine with the prohibited substance without authorization and exception. The ICC remained on the zero-tolerance position even after it realised that Tharanga was not deliberately cheating.

The ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said it could not be verified that Upul was guilty of intentional cheating but its zero-tolerance stance on doping in the best interest of its stakeholders. The six-month suspension not only interrupted the career trajectory of therapeutic use exemption in professional baseball but also demonstrated the intricacy of therapeutic use exemption within baseball.

9. Pradeep Sangwan (India) - 18 Months

Image Source : Getty Images

In 2013, the most severe sentence in the history of the sport of cricket was issued on Sangwan, a pacer of Kolkata Knight Riders, who was banned 18 months on account of using anabolic steroids. His Anti-Doping Tribunal at BCCI, discovered him using stanozolol, a banned steroid which was detected in his urine sample during the sixth edition of IPL.

Sangwan was the first Indian professional cricketer to receive such violations and this is a title that no one will be proud of. The young man who had been in the 2008 Under-19 world cup winning team of India had his dream career ruined. In contrast to the situations with the accidental intake of cough syrup, the one of Sangwan concerned the serious performance-enhancing drugs that are usually linked to planned cheating.

In November 2014, he got back to competitive cricket after serving his full term; however, the stigma accompanied him. His career did not follow the previous course, and his example can be considered as a lesson on the destructive effects of steroid abuse.

10. Stephen Fleming (New Zealand) - Fined and Tour Ban

Image Source : ESPN

In December 1994, the legendary captain of New Zealand had to deal with a scandal that he had not expected. Marijuana, not performance enhancers. Fleming, Dion Nash and Matthew Hart were caught smoking cannabis whilst on a South Africa tour, which was reported by one of their teammates, Danny Morrison, to the management.

The disclosure was a shock to the fans who had been used to a cool professional Fleming who was both on and off the field. Although it was not the typical doping offense of performance enhancement, the three individuals were harshly punished. They were both fined $175 and suspended in the rest of the matches. Fleming also became unspontaneous to his sponsorship deals which was painful to his pocket as a reminder of his error.

This episode was a precursor to the current anti-doping practices but was used to show that substance abuse in all its forms has professional repercussions. After the reputation that he had lost, Fleming was later able to restore his respectability as one of the most respected figures in the field of cricket due to his coaching career.

11. Ian Botham (England) - Banned in 1989

Image Source : Getty Images

In 1989, the all-rounder legend of England was suspended in his career due to the use of cannabis. Botham was one of the most charismatic figures in the history of cricket and was caught smoking marijuana, and this made him be banned from the game.

His was also similar to that of Fleming, but it was not about performance-enhancing drugs but it was recreational substance abuse, and it was in breach of the conduct rules in cricket. The ban was a great setback in the glorious career of Botham whose achievements included Ashes performance and fantastic performances in the all round game.

Although the period of the ban is not as extensively documented as the present-day cases, the incident demonstrated that even the greatest stars in cricket were not above such sanctions as breaking the rule under the policy of substance abuse. Sometimes Botham was too popular in living his life at his own terms which were deemed to be within acceptable limits. However, his contributions to the English cricket made sure that his legacy was not washed away in this scandal but it still remains a significant stain.

Also Read | Top 3 Major Controversies from IPL Auctions

Conclusion

The cases of doping in cricket tell unpleasant facts about the sport of the XXI century. Although most of the examples include the real fault of an athlete being used to consuming the banned substances without knowing about it in general drugs such as cough syrup, there are even more severe situations that question the intentional enhancement of performance.

These impacts go beyond the level of suspensions, broken reputations, loss of sponsorships, ruined careers, and humiliation. These eleven cases are of various times, nations, and situations but they all have the same roots: the lack of knowledge about anti-doping, negligence with drugs and, in some cases, intentional violation of the rules. ICC, the BCCI and WADA have been reinforcing enforcement mechanisms and education programs.

The athletes are now getting an extensive briefing on the bans and therapeutic use exemptions. Nonetheless, despite these measures, there are still violations. Such warning stories are to encourage existing and future cricketing professionals that being more vigilant is not merely a choice but a life-saving one in a world where anti-doping rules in the game are treated with zero tolerance.