Dubai, Jul 14 (IANS): Bangladesh pacer Shohidul Islam has been suspended from all cricket-related activities for 10 months after pleading guilty to breaching Article 2.1 of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Anti-Doping Code, the world governing body said on Thursday.

Shohidul had provided a urine sample as part of the ICC's out-of-competition testing programme in Dhaka on March 4, 2022, which was found to contain Clomifene. Clomifene is classified as a Specified Substance under WADA's Prohibited List and is prohibited both in-competition and out-of-competition.

While handing out the suspension, the ICC confirmed that Shohidul had inadvertently ingested the prohibited substance.

"In making the decision, the ICC accepted that Shohidul had demonstrated no significant fault or negligence, having inadvertently ingested the prohibited substance which was contained in a medicine he had been legitimately prescribed for therapeutic reasons," the ICC said in a statement.

"Shohidul was able to satisfy the ICC that he had no intention to enhance his sporting performance by using prohibited substances," it added.

The 27-year-old fast bowler admitted the violation and accepted a 10-month suspension. The suspension is backdated to May 28, 2022, the date of his acceptance of a voluntary Provisional Suspension. He will, therefore, be eligible to return to cricket on March 28, 2023.

Shohidul has played a solitary T20I for Bangladesh in which he picked up the wicket of Mohammad Rizwan in the third and final match of the series which Pakistan won 3-0.

He has been part of Bangladesh's travelling squads for the series against New Zealand and South Africa but did not get any game time. He was also a part of the Bangladesh Test and T20I squad for the ongoing tour of the West Indies but missed out due to a side strain.