Zimbabwe Cricket has issued four-month suspensions to national team cricketers Wesley Madhevere and Brandon Mavutua for recreational drug use.

Madhevere and Mavuta were sanctioned on Thursday (January 25), after admitting to drug use during a disciplinary hearing last Wednesday. They tested positive for a prohibited recreational substance during an in-house dope test in December. The couple will also be penalized 50% of their salaries for three months beginning January 2024.

“ZC has a zero tolerance towards drugs and drug taking and, in imposing the sanctions, the Disciplinary Committee considered that drug taking was a serious offense and that the breach by the two players had brought the organization and the game of cricket into disrepute,” a press release from ZC said.

“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.”

Meanwhile, Kevin Kasuza, another Zimbabwe cricketer, has been suspended from all cricket activities until a hearing. He also failed an in-house drug test last week. A disciplinary hearing will now be held based on the charges of violating the board’s employee code of conduct.