The BCCI on Tuesday announced a five-month retrospective ban on Yusuf Pathan for doping violations, but with the suspension period ending on January 14, it is likely to make little difference to the batsman’s prospects in the upcoming IPL auctions at the end of the month.
Pathan has been banned for the presence of Terbutaline, a beta-2 agonist present in the 2017 list of WADA-specified prohibited substances, from August 15, 2017.
While the BCCI stated it was “satisfied with the explanation that he had taken Terbutaline inadvertently to treat an upper respiratory tract infection and not as a performance-enhancing drug,” its own report leaves a lot of questions unanswered.
The news was first reported by The Hindu .
The sample was collected on March 16 (following the match between Baroda and Tamil Nadu in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in New Delhi) and provisional suspension was given from October 27 after informing Pathan of the adverse finding.
However, there is no explanation for why it took six months for the Board to send notice even though it has admitted that the initial adverse report from the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) on his A sample came on April 12 itself.
Sources said August 15 was the date BCCI decided to send the NDTL report to an independent review board seeking reaffirmation that international standards for testing were followed and there was no departure from a possible Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE).
The offence was officially converted into a doping violation only on September 22. Official sources also claimed that WADA protocols allow cross-checking of a result after receiving a lab package from the NDTL (end of May in this case) to ensure there were no procedural or testing discrepancy before initiating a hearing.
The Baroda all-rounder not only played Ranji Trophy in the interim but also represented Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL that continued till May 17.
Other issues
There are other contentious issues. Terbutaline is among substances used to treat asthma and can be excused if applied for under a TUE. But while a formal notice was sent to Pathan in October, he was informed about the finding earlier and questioned about the TUE.
The final decision on the actual dates for suspension came only on January 8 despite Pathan waiving his right to appeal on October 29 itself. With the BCCI Anti-Doping Rules under sections 10.101, 10.10.2 and 10.10.3 giving the Board discretion to back-date suspensions, the most convenient dates seem to have been chosen.
Pathan had allegedly been prescribed medicines by the team hotel’s consulting doctor, who made sure none had any prohibited substance. A hotel staffer was asked to get them but while all other medicines were fine, the cough syrup recommended was not available.
A second staffer was sent to a different chemist and returned with an alternative syrup from the same manufacturer. But there are no names or witnesses to corroborate the claims from either Pathan or team manager Dev Jadhav.
Interestingly, the WADA list of Indian dope offences for 2016 had one case of cricket which the BCCI had refused to comment on. With this fresh case coming out in the open, the tussle between BCCI and the NADA is set to become more fierce.
