A furore has erupted in the world of South African cricket after the country’s batter Zubayr Hamza tested positive for a substance prohibited by the International Cricket Committee (ICC).
According to Cricket South Africa (CSA), the substance found in Hamza’s system, Furosemide, is not a performance-enhancing drug. The body also shared that the cricketer was able to identify how the substance got into his body.
Hamza had undergone anti-doping tests, and the results had come to light soon after, indicating he used Furosemide. Hamza has agreed to a voluntary suspension while investigations continue.
Furosemide is a diuretic, a drug that makes the kidney produce more urine and control blood pressure. However, it is on the list of banned drugs by the World Anti-Doping Agency because the body claims it can disguise other drugs.
So far, though, there’s no evidence that other drugs have been found in Hamza’s system. The cricketer made his TEST debut in 2019 and has made six TESTs since.
According to some sources, the suspension might be lifted soon, but it all depends on the outcome of the investigation, which is still ongoing. A key to the outcome is if Hamza can give a plausible reason why he used the drug.
