Prithvi Shaw suspended by BCCI for doping violation
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has handed a backdated suspension to Indian Test opener Prithvi Shaw for a doping violation. Two other players, Rajasthan’s Divya Gajraj and Akshay Dullarwar from Vidarbha have also received similar suspensions. The backdated suspension is for a span of eight months and will last till 15 November 2019.
The Mumbai batsman had submitted a urine sample on February 22 before the Syed Mushtaq Ali encounter against Punjab in Indore. The sample was found to contain Terbutaline, a banned substance as per the WADA (World Anti-doping Agency) regulations. The BCCI charged him with the offence on July 16. They also provisionally suspended him pending the determination of the charge. The opener did not contest the charge but asserted that he had inadvertently ingested the banned substance.
The BCCI released an official statement confirming the ban:
“Mr. Prithvi Shaw registered with Mumbai Cricket Association, has been suspended for doping violation. Mr. Shaw had inadvertently ingested a prohibited substance, which can be commonly found in cough syrups. Mr. Shaw had provided a urine sample as part of the BCCI’s anti-doping testing program during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match on 22nd February 2019 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.”
The 19-year-old took to Twitter to respond to the ban, accepting the eight-month suspension:
— Prithvi Shaw (@PrithviShaw) July 30, 2019
Though Shaw’s suspension lasts till November, he will be able to return to training and use club facilities from September 15. The suspension means that the youngster will miss the Test series against South Africa and will also be ineligible for the first Test against Bangladesh.
