Yusuf Pathan: “I should have been more careful”
Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo
Indian cricketer Yusuf Pathan was given a five-month back-dated ban for violating the BCCI’s anti-doping violation.
Pathan, whose ban concludes at midnight on January 14, tested positive for Terbutaline, a substance that is prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
According to the BCCI, Pathan, who last represented India in 2012, “inadvertently ingested a prohibited substance, which can be commonly found in cough syrups”.
The 35-year-old’s positive test stems from a urine sample he gave during India’s domestic Twenty20 competition on March 16, 2017.
Pathan was officially charged by the BCCI on October 27, but his ban was deemed to have started on August 15 as the board accepted his explanation as to how he tested positive.
A BCCI release said Pathan 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 [anti-doping rules violation], and on that basis has agreed that a period of ineligibility of five months should apply,” the BCCI release said.
“Under BCCI ADR [anti-doping rules] 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.”
Pathan also released a statement, where he said that he would be more cautious about the type of medication he took in the future.
“The prohibited substance was detected in my sample because of a medicine I was taking for throat infection,” he said. “I would like to once again assure to the BCCI, Baroda Cricket Association and my fans and I promise to be more careful with what I consume henceforth. In hindsight, I should have been more careful and checked the status of the medications with the BCCI’s dedicated anti-doping helpline.”