Indian all-rounder Yusuf Pathan has been suspended for five months for failing a dope test during a domestic match last season.
The Baroda all-rounder had inadvertently ingested a prohibited substance — Terbutaline, which can be commonly found in cough syrups.
Confirming the news, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said Pathan was tested positive for a banned substance during a domestic T-20 competition in the national capital in March last year.
“Pathan had provided a urine sample as part of the BCCI’s anti-doping testing programme 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 and Out of Competition in the WADA Prohibited List of Substances,” the BCCI said.
In October 2017, Pathan 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.
Pathan responded to the charges by admitting the ADRV and asserting that it was caused by his ingestion of a medication containing Terbutaline that had been mistakenly given to him instead of the medication prescribed for him, which did not contain any prohibited substance.
The BCCI said they were satisfied with the out-of-favour batsman’s explanation that he consumed the banned substance unintentionally and not to enhance his performance.
“The BCCI is satisfied with 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 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 board added.
The five-month period of ineligibility for Pathan will be deemed to run from August 15, 2017 until midnight of January 14, 2018.
“Under BCCI ADR Article 10.10.3, 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 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 Pathan,” the board concluded.
