Shaw owns responsibility as BCCI slaps doping ban

New Delhi, July 30 - India and Mumbai opener Prithvi Shaw on Tuesday said he is shaken by Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) suspending him for a doping violation, saying he takes all responsibility for unknowingly consuming the banned syrup.

"I have come to know today that I will not be able to play cricket till mid-November 2019.

"This is in light of a prohibited substance present in the cough syrup which I inadvertently took when I had severe cough & cold while playing for my Mumbai team during Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament in Indore in February 2019.

"I was coming back off a freakish foot injury which I suffered during the India tour of Australia and I was returning to active cricket in that tournament. However out of my over eagerness to play, I didn't follow the protocol of being careful in consuming a basic over the counter cough syrup. 

"I accept my fate with all sincerety. While I am still nursing an injury which I suffered during my last tournament, this news has really shaken me. I have to take this in my stride & hope it inspires others in our sports fratenity too in India that we as athletes need to be extremely careful in taking any medicine for the smallest of medical ailments even if the medicine is available over the counter & we need to always follow the protocol.

"I thank BCCI for all the support & also my near & dear ones who have always stood by me. Cricket is my life & there is no bigger pride for me than playing for India & Mumbai and I will come out of this faster & stronger. Thank you again everyone for your support," Shaw said in a series of tweets.

As per the board, Shaw had inadvertently ingested a prohibited substance, which can be commonly found in cough syrups. His urine sample contained Terbutaline.

The BCCI statement said: "Shaw had provided a urine sample as part of the BCCI's anti-doping testing programme during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match on February 22 in Indore. 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.

"On 16th July 2019, 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.

"The BCCI is satisfied with Shaw's explanation that he had taken Terbutaline inadvertently to treat an Respiratory Tract Infection and not as a performance-enhancing drug. Having considered all of the evidence and taken expert external advice, the BCCI has accepted Shaw's explanation of the cause of his ADRV, and on that basis has agreed that a period of ineligibility of eight months should apply, together with disqualification of certain results."

The statement further said that he will be ineligible to play till November 15.

"Under BCCI ADR Article 10.10.3, Shaw is entitled to full credit against that period of ineligibility for the provisional suspension that he has been serving since July 16. In addition, because Shaw promptly admitted his ADRV upon being confronted with it by the BCCI, there is discretion under BCCI ADR Article 10.10.2 to back-date the start of the period of Ineligibility to the date of sample collection (22nd February 2019).

"However, the BCCI ADR Article 10.10.2 also requires Shaw to actually serve one half of the period of ineligibility. Therefore, further to BCCI ADR Article 10.10.2, the eight-month period of Ineligibility will be deemed to have started to run on 16th March 2019, so that it will end at midnight on 15th November 2019."

Shaw can return to train from September 15 as per rules. "Under BCCI ADR Article 10.11.2, a Cricketer may return to train with a team or to use the facilities of a club or other member organisation of a Signatory's member organisation during the shorter of:

(i) the last two months of the Cricketer's period of Ineligibility; or

(ii) the last one-quarter of the period of Ineligibility imposed.

"Therefore, Shaw may return to train with his State team and/or to use the facilities of any club or other member organisation of the BCCI after midnight on 15th September 2019."

Rajasthan's Divya Gajraj and Vidarbha's Akshay Dullarwar are the other players who have been suspended for doping violation.

IANS