World Cup-Winner Yusuf Pathan Suspended By BCCI For Doping Violation

Discarded India all-rounder Yusuf Pathan has been serving a five-year ban for a doping violation since October, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed on Tuesday (January 9).

The 35-year-old had failed a dope test during a domestic match last season but had gone on to play the Indian Premier League as well as some domestic games because the results came only later.

However, when the report came out in October last year, the BCCI immediately instructed Baroda Cricket Association not to pick the former Indian international in the team for the just-concluded Ranji Trophy. As a result, Pathan could play only a couple of games despite scoring two centuries in the season-opener against Madhya Pradesh.

According to a statement from the BCCI, Pathan had “inadvertently ingested a prohibited substance, which can be commonly found in cough syrups.”

 “Mr Yusuf Pathan has been suspended for a doping violation. Mr Pathan had inadvertently ingested a prohibited substance, which can be commonly found in cough syrups,” a statement from the BCCI stated.

“Mr Yusuf Pathan has been suspended for a doping violation. Mr Pathan had inadvertently ingested a prohibited substance, which can be commonly found in cough syrups.

“Mr Pathan had provided a urine sample as part of the BCCI’s anti-doping testing program during a domestic T-20 competition on 16th March 2017 in New Delhi. His sample was subsequently tested and found to contain Terbutaline. Terbutaline, a specified substance, is prohibited both In & Out of Competition in the WADA Prohibited List of Substances,” it added.

The board also stated that it is satisfied with Pathan’s explanation.

“The BCCI is satisfied with Mr Pathan’s explanation that he had taken Terbutaline inadvertently to treat an Upper Respiratory Tract Infection (URTI) and not as a performance-enhancing drug. Having considered all of the evidence and taken expert external advice, the BCCI has accepted Mr Pathan’s explanation of the cause of his ADRV, and on that basis has agreed that a period of ineligibility of five months should apply, together with the disqualification of certain results.”

The five-month ban, which was back-dated by BCCI to August 15, will end at midnight on January 14, 2018.

Under BCCI ADR Article 10.10.3, Mr Pathan is entitled to the full credit against that period of ineligibility for the provisional suspension that he has been serving since 28 October 2017. In addition, there is discretion under BCCI ADR Article 10.10.2 to back-date the start date of the period of ineligibility still further on account of Mr Pathan’s prompt admission of his ADRV upon being confronted with it by the BCCI, and under BCCI ADR Article 10.10.1 on account of the delays in the results management in this case that are not attributable to Mr Pathan. In all of the circumstances, the five-month period of ineligibility will be deemed to have started to run on 15 August 2017 and end at midnight on 14 January 2018.

The BCCI has a zero-tolerance approach towards doping in Cricket. All Cricketers are personally responsible for ensuring that anything they eat, drink or put in their body does not give rise to an ADRV under the BCCI Anti-Doping Code. The BCCI provides a dedicated 24X7 Anti-Doping Helpline where the Cricketers and Cricket support personnel can contact for any drug queries,” the statement further added.

The timely conclusion of the ban, meanwhile, will allow Pathan to see his name being auctioned in the upcoming auction for this year’s Indian Premier League. Pathan, who represented India in 55 ODIs and 22 T20Is,  was recently released by Kolkata Knight Riders.

Pathan is the second high-profile name to serve a doping ban in recent times.  In 2013, Delhi’s medium-pacer Pradeep Sangwan, who was recently appointed Delhi’s captain for Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament, was banned for 18 months after he failed the test.

Meanwhile, Pathan was quick to thank BCCI for being lenient towards him. The all-rounder took to Twitter to thank the cricket board for allowing him to plead his case in a fair and reasonable manner.

Yusuf's statement:
I wish to thank the @BCCI for allowing me to plead my case in a fair and reasonable manner. pic.twitter.com/S83TNUpqxZ

— Yusuf Pathan (@iamyusufpathan) January 9, 2018

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