ZC bans two players for recreational drug use

Mehluli Sibanda, Sports Editor
ZIMBABWE Cricket have slapped two emerging cricketers with a three-month ban for using a recreational drug in an out-of-competition case.

In a statement released yesterday, ZC said the two up-and-coming players were hauled before a disciplinary committee after being reported to the cricket mother body by a concerned citizen.

“Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) has suspended two emerging players for three months for using a recreational drug in an out-of-competition case. The two players were summoned to appear before a disciplinary hearing after they were reported to ZC by a concerned citizen who caught them red-handed partaking in suspected substance abuse within the premises of a private residential complex.

“They admitted to using a social drug on the day in question resulting in each one of them receiving a three-month ban from cricket activities for breaching the ZC Code of Conduct for Players and Team Officials under which they were charged,” read part of the ZC statement.

It said the two cricketers could have been in deep trouble had they used the drug during a competition as this would have seen them face tough sanctions.

“The Disciplinary Committee noted that had they committed the offence in competition, they would have been charged under ZC’s anti-doping rules and attracted stiffer sanctions, including a ban of up to two years. The two players are first-time offenders and ZC has opted to keep their identities confidential in order to give them the best chance of rehabilitation,” said the ZC statement.

While ZC did not identify the two offending cricketers, investigations by this publication revealed that they are both based in Masvingo and one of them was in the Zimbabwe Under-19 structures a few years ago. The two are said to have been caught smoking marijuana. -@Mdawini_29