Andre Russell Banned For A Year For Violating Doping Whereabouts
Jan 31, 2017 at 10:50 PM
West Indies and Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Andre Russell has received a one-year ban from cricket for violating the whereabouts clause.
The verdict was delivered by an independent anti-doping panel on Tuesday (January 31) in Kingston and the ban will be effective from January 31.
Currently out of action due to a hamstring injury, the ace all-rounder, in March last year, was accused by the Jamaica Anti-doping Commission (JADCO) of violating the whereabout clause. The JADCO claimed that the 28-year old had failed to file his whereabouts on three occasions in 2015- January 1, July 1 and July 25 despite being reminded through several means.
In his defence, the explosive batsman said that he did not know how to file the whereabouts before insisting that he had given the responsibility to his agent and travel agents to take care of the whereabouts since he was busy playing cricket.
As per the rules of World Anti-doping Agency (WADA), if an athlete fails to file their whereabouts thrice in twelve months, it equals to one failed doping test. Consequently, he has received the ban.
Earlier, he had admitted that the delay in the verdict has been very stressing for him.
“It’s been stressing and hard playing cricket and all that’s in the back of your head. But at the end of the day you have to do what you have to do”
Russell told Jamaican Observer.
“It’s like a big cloud over my head. If I get a ban then definitely I’m out of cricket [during the period of the suspension]; I mean all formats. So I’d just love to know I’m back and I can represent Jamaica Tallawahs, West Indies, and all the other teams I play for in the world.
Meanwhile, his lawyer Patrick Foster has said that his client might appeal the ban.