dyton mupawaenda
Zimbabwe Cricket has banned national team players Wessly Madhevere and Brandon Mavuta from cricket for four months for recreational drug use.
The two received the sanction after admitting — when they appeared for a disciplinary hearing last Wednesday — to charges of breaching the ZC Employment Code of Conduct that arose when they tested positive for a banned recreational drug during an in-house doping test in December.
On top of the ban, Madhevere and Mavuta have been fined 50 percent of their salaries for three months, with effect from January 2024, while they also received final written warnings valid for 12 months.
As they undergo rehabilitation overseen by ZC medical personnel, they have also been ordered to train under ZC’s High-Performance program.
In a statement, ZC said they have zero tolerance towards drugs and drug taking and, in imposing the sanctions, the Disciplinary Committee considered that drug taking was a serious offence and that the breach by the two players had brought the organisation and the game of cricket into disrepute. In taking the decision, the Committee also considered some mitigating factors, with both players showing remorse and having already started working on withdrawing from the habit and getting their systems clean. Mavuta issued a public statement apologising to cricket stakeholders last week.
Meanwhile, ZC has with immediate effect suspended another national team player, Kevin Kasuza, from all cricket activities, pending a hearing, after he tested positive for a banned recreational drug during an in-house doping test last week.
He is due to appear for a disciplinary hearing soon.
Kasuza is being charged under the ZC Employment Code of Conduct — Sports Reporter/Zimbabwe Cricket.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter