Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy: Prithvi Shaw Likely To Make A Comeback After Serving Suspension

In a sensational development, opening batsman Prithvi Shaw is expected to return to Mumbai’s squad for the Syed Mushtaq All Trophy tournament after serving his eight-month suspension from the game due to a doping violation. The chairman of the state’s ad-hoc selection panel, Milind Rege added that Prithvi Shaw’s inclusion in the team will certainly be discussed

“He will be free to play from [November 16], so of course he will be considered for selection. I can’t make any commitment to whether he will be back, but we will certainly discuss his selection,” Milind Rege was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

Rege’s panel had announced the team squad only for Mumbai’s initial three matches because young guns players like Shreyas lyer, Shardul Thakur, and Shivam Dube are now part of the India squad for the ongoing T20 series against Bangladesh.

Mumbai will have played at least 6 of their 7 group fixtures before Prithvi Shaw is eligible to play the game. India’s governing body (BCCI) had suspended Prithvi Shaw in July this year.

“Prithvi Shaw, registered with Mumbai Cricket Association, has been suspended for a doping violation. Shaw had inadvertently ingested a prohibited substance, which can be commonly found in cough syrups,” BCCI had said in a statement.

BCCI satisfied with the explanation given by Prithvi Shaw:

BCCI had stated that it had recovered Terbutaline from the urine sample, provided by the cricketer during the course of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match on February 22, 2019, in Indore.

“On July 16, Shaw was charged with the commission of an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) under the BCCI Anti-Doping Rules (ADR) Article 2.1 and provisionally suspended pending determination of the charge. Shaw responded to the charge by admitting the ADRV but asserting that it was inadvertent, being caused by his ingestion of the over the counter cough syrup he had taken for his cough,” it had stated.

India’s cricket body, in their statement, mentioned that they were contented with the explanation given by the young batting sensation Prithvi Shaw that he had taken Terbutaline accidentally in order to treat a Respiratory Tract Infection and not really as a performance-enhancing drug. It should be noted that the eight-month period of ineligibility started from March 16, 2019, and will end on November 15.