Exclusive: What is Yusuf Pathan saying on being accused to doping controversy?

Pathan
Yusuf Pathan played for KKR in Indian Premier League for seven long seasons. Image Source: twitter

Kolkata: Star Indian all-rounder and former Kolkata Knight Riders batsman Yusuf Pathan has been suspended by BCCI after he failed in a dope test during a domestic match last season. The member of the 2011 World Cup winning side has been suspended for five months from all-sorts of cricket due to the violation. He was a member of Indian Premier League side Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) too for seven long seasons. As per BCCI he has breached WADA’s code of conduct.

www.xtraime.in correspondent Sabyasachi Bagchi talked with Yusuf regarding the matter. On being asked about why this thing had happened Yusuf told that,” My doctor prescribed me a cough syrup to cure my cough, which contained the substaince that is violating WADA’s code of conduct. This is not the first time that I gave dope test, but this type of thing has happened with me for the first time in my life and I had no idea that I was taking a banned substance. It was a normal cough syrup but I should be more cautious before using that thing.”

“The ban will lift on January 14 and I will be available to play cricket after that. It has started from our second Ranji Trophy, before which I scored back to back hundreds in my first game. After knowing the fact I stopped playing for my state side.”

He further added,” It was a fault from my doctor as well as from me but unfortunately I am the one who got the punishment. I started really well in Ranji Trophy but I had to stop my game due to all of these.”

Kolkata Knight Riders haven’t retained Yusuf for the forthcoming season, but he is keeping himself fit for the cash rich league.” I am training hard for the IPL. It will be a grand auction later this month. I hope that I will again play for Kolkata Knight Riders. There are a lot of rules and regulations, that’s why they haven’t retained me. Now I am looking forward for the auction which will happen on January 27 and 28 and hope for the best.”

In a statement BCCI said,” The statement said, “Mr Yusuf Pathan has been suspended for a doping violation. Mr Pathan had inadvertently ingested a prohibited substance, which can be commonly found in cough syrups.

“Mr Pathan had provided a urine sample as part of the BCCI’s anti-doping testing program 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 & Out of Competition in the WADA Prohibited List of Substances.

On 27th October 2017, Mr 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. Mr Pathan responded to the charge 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 is satisfied with Mr 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 Mr 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.

Under BCCI ADR 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. In all of the circumstances, the five-month period of ineligibility will be deemed to have started to run on 15 August 2017 and end at midnight on 14 January 2018.

The BCCI has a zero-tolerance approach towards doping in Cricket. All Cricketers are personally responsible for ensuring that anything they eat, drink or put in their body does not give rise to an ADRV under the BCCI Anti-Doping Code. The BCCI provides a dedicated 24X7 Anti-Doping Helpline where the Cricketers and Cricket support personnel can contact for any drug queries.

Just after BCCI’s statement, Yusuf Pathan thanked the board for letting him plead his case in a ‘fair and reasonable manner’. Pathan tweeted, “I wish to thank the @BCCI for allowing me to plead my case in a fair and reasonable manner.”