HARARE: Zimbabwe Cricket said Thursday that two national players had been suspended for “recreational drug use”.

       “The concerned players, Wesley Madhevere and Brandon Mavuta, both tested positive for a banned recreational drug in an out-of-competition case recorded during a recent in-house doping test,” the board said in a statement.

       Madhevere and Mavuta have been suspended “with immediate effect” until a hearing is held on the breach of anti-doping rules.

       The board did not say what drug was involved nor when they had failed the tests.

       But the suspensions are a new blow after coach Dave Houghton resigned this week over Zimbabwe’s failure to reach next year’s T20 World Cup.

       “They have been char-g-ed under the Zimbabwe Cricket Code of Conduct for players and team officials and will appear for a disciplinary hearing soon,” the statement said.

       Twenty-three-year-old allrounder Madhevere is considered one of the national team’s rising talents. He made his debut for Zimbabwe in 2020 and has since played in two Tests, 36 One-day Internationals and 60 Twenty20 Intern-ationals.

       Mavuta, 26, has four Tests, 12 One-day Intern-ationals and 10 T20 Intern-ationals to his name.

       Both were in the Zimb-abwe squad for the one-day series against Ireland this month which the side lost 2-1.

       Zimbabwe has started a major inquest after failing to reach next year’s T20 World Cup and being bea-ten in the Ireland series. Houghton resigned saying he had “lost the change room”.

       Published in Dawn, December 22nd, 2023