Cricket Buzz: Shehzad provisionally suspended; Herath contemplating retirement

Pakistan's Shehzad provisionally suspended over failed dope test

Pakistan batsman Ahmed Shehzad has been provisionally suspended and charged with violating anti-doping regulations after he tested positive for a prohibited substance in May, the country's cricket board (PCB) has said.

The 26-year-old's in-competition urine sample, which was collected during the domestic Pakistan Cup tournament in May, tested positive and an independent review board confirmed the result in June.

"He has been given till July 18 2018 to advise whether he wishes to have his B Sample tested and till July 27 to respond to the charges levelled in the Notice of Charge," the PCB said in a statement on its website.

"The PCB has also provisionally suspended Ahmed Shehzad pending the outcome of the charges."

Shehzad most recently played for Pakistan in the two-match Twenty20 series in Scotland in June.

Sri Lankan spinner Herath contemplating retirement in November

Sri Lanka's Rangana Herath might retire from international cricket after the three-match Test series against England in November, the left-arm spinner has said.

Herath has notched up 418 wickets in 90 Test matches for Sri Lanka and is the country's highest wicket-taker after Muttiah Muralitharan, who has a staggering 800 Test wickets to his name.

"Maybe my final series will be the England series later in the year," the 40-year-old told BBC Sinhala. "There comes a time for every cricketer, when they have to stop playing. I think that time has come for me."

Herath, who retired from one-day and Twenty20 internationals in 2016, is in the squad for Sri Lanka's two-match Test series against South Africa, which kicks off on Thursday in Galle.

With spinners like Dilruwan Perera, Akila Dananjaya and Lakshan Sandakan in the national side, Herath believed Sri Lanka would be in good hands post his retirement.

Former England captain Boycott recovering after heart surgery

Former England Test captain Geoffrey Boycott is recovering after undergoing quadruple heart bypass surgery and will miss commentating on England's first two Tests against India next month.

The 77-year-old, who scored 8114 runs in 108 Tests and led England in four of them, had the operation on June 27 and spent 10 days recovering in hospital.

"The surgeon says the operation was a success and has now allowed him home to recover," Boycott's daughter Emma said in a statement on behalf of her father on his official Twitter account.

The statement also said that Boycott was hopeful of returning to the commentary box for the third Test of the five-match series between England and India at Nottingham.

The first Test starts in Birmingham on Aug. 1.