Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has banned the right-handed opening batsman Ahmad Shahzad for four months over a positive result in the dope test conducted by the game's governing body in the country. 

Shahzad's ban will be effective from July 10, 2018, when he was issued a notice regarding the charge. He has now been provisionally suspended from participating in all forms of the game in this period for consumption of a "prohibited substance."

Shahzad can only make a return to the field from November 11 onwards. 

A PCB release on Friday, October 5, stated on the matter, "A four (04) month period of ineligibility, commencing from the date of his Provisional Suspension, i.e. 10th July 2018, has been imposed on Shehzad, Additionally, as a part of his rehabilitation process Ahmad shall also deliver lectures on anti-doping to such audiences and at such places as the PCB may require."

The release further mentioned that the 26-year-old talented cricketer has accepted the violation of PCB's important rules and said Shahzad "had no intent to cheat or enhance his performance."

Even Shahzad himself took to the social media network Twitter and accepted his mistake in a post, which reads, "My doping case verdict is acceptable to me. I accept the sanction handed out by PCB. I inadvertently consumed a medicine which as an experienced cricketer I should have refrained from. I am fully committed to returning to cricket as soon as my ban is over (November 11, 2018.)"

"This is a lesson for me personally as well as my fellow cricketers and I hope to make a strong comeback from here. Remember me in your prayers," he added. 

PCB chairman Ehsan Mani also quoted his response on the matter as, "PCB has a zero-tolerance policy towards doping in cricket and hopes that in future cricketers will exercise utmost care to ensure that no Prohibited Substances enter their system."

(Inputs from Cricbuzz)