As part of their rehabilitation, Madhevere and Mavuta were ordered to train under ZC’s high-performance programme. They were also fined 50% of their salaries for three months starting January 2024.
Both players have cleared drug tests conducted after their suspensions ended.
“It started off as something that I was taking for fun and then it ended up as something that I was addicted to,” Mavuta, the 17-year-old legspin-bowling allrounder, said in a ZC statement. “I couldn’t sleep and most of the time I had loss of appetite and I ended up running to take marijuana… I regret it. It has actually been a lesson to me.
“It [the suspension] has actually been sort of a blessing in disguise because I had to spend more time focusing on my game and now I am fitter and stronger. The advice I can give to people, youngsters or fellow sportspersons, is that it’s the worst thing to do – taking drugs – because it affects you in the long run and once you become [addicted], it will be very difficult for you to get back off it.
“I am hungrier, I am determined to bounce back and the bounceback is going to be even bigger than what I was before because I have been in the high performance [programme] for those four months.”
Madhevere, the 23-year-old top-order batter, said, “The lessons I took from it is I shouldn’t take anything for granted, as there will always be consequences for your actions. You have to think it through before doing stuff like that, especially taking drugs, especially knowing those kinds of drugs are not allowed.
“I think if you just respect whatever you are doing, whether it’s a job or something else, it will help you to make better decisions. Even though it might seem to be about fun and stuff, if you take it lightly you will end up being a drug addict.
“Just know that there will be consequences and if you know that it will help you to make better decisions.”
Madhevere and Mavuta last played for Zimbabwe during their home series against Ireland in December 2023. They also featured in one match each in the Logan Cup, for Mashonaland Eagles and Mid West Rhinos respectively, before their suspensions in January.
“I am pleased to welcome Wessly and Brandon back to competitive cricket after both of them underwent rehabilitation and also passed a drug test carried out to check if they were now clean,” Givemore Makoni, the ZC managing director, said in a statement. “More importantly, the two players acknowledged their mistakes and have vowed to stay clean and focus on their very promising careers as cricketers.”
The anti-drugs programme run by ZC is voluntary and separate from ICC and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) obligations.
“Recognising the dangers that recreational drugs may cause, ZC opted to go beyond the ICC and WADA obligations by implementing an in-house drugs testing programme,” Makoni said. “This is a very important initiative that should be hailed for providing education, counselling and treatment, where appropriate, to rehabilitate players who have become involved with social drugs.”
