About the Prohibited List

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) published the 2025 List of Prohibited Substances and Methods on 25 September 2024. This updated list will come into effect on 1 January 2025 and is accessible on the ICC website.

We strongly encourage all stakeholders to review the 2025 list, paying close attention to the changes from 2024. Familiarity with these updates is essential to prevent inadvertent violations resulting from the use of newly prohibited substances or methods.

The modifications reflected in the 2025 Prohibited List do not include status changes i.e. permitted substances to prohibited substances or vice versa but it does include a few clarifications and examples of prohibited substances. For more detail on the changes, please review WADA’s Summary of Major Modifications and Explanatory Notes, also accessible on the ICC website.

Key information about the Prohibited List

• The List comes into effect on 1 January each year but is published in September/October of the preceding year.
• For a substance or method to be added to the list, it must meet two of the following three criteria: (i) potential to enhance performance (ii) actual or potential health risk to athletes and (iii) violation of the spirit of sport, as defined in the WADA Code.
• The specified substance category on the list includes substances that are found more commonly in medicinal products posing a higher risk of unintentional use. In contrast, the non-specified substances category encompasses substances that are less likely to be present in a medicinal product. These substances are often associated with health risks and are typically linked to deliberate doping practices.
• Watch out for the prohibited substance groups, prohibited “similar’ substances and the prohibited unapproved substances. These sections are not exhaustive and could include substances that are not specifically recorded on the List.
• Substances on the List may be prohibited in-competition only (on a match day as defined in the ICC Code) or at all times.
• Be cautious, as the use of substances prohibited only in-competition, even if taken out-of-competition (on a non-match day), can still lead to an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) during competition.