Prithvi Shaw knew about banned substances but probably just overlooked it: BCCI anti-doping manager

Follow us on

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has faced a lot of flak regarding the board's handling of young talents following the suspension of talented opener Prithvi Shaw and two other domestic cricketers due to doping violations.

Shaw, the batting prodigy who made his Test debut for India against West Indies last year, was handed an eight-month ban by the BCCI after he tested positive for a banned substance during the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament in February this year. Along with Shaw, two other domestic players -- Akshay Dullarwar of Vidarbha and Divya Gajraj of Rajasthan -- have also been suspended for violating the cricket board's anti-doping code.

Shaw tested positive for terbutaline - a banned substance commonly found in cough syrups. The BCCI too stated that Shaw had "inadvertently ingested a prohibited substance, which can be commonly found in cough syrups".

"Terbutaline, a specified substance, is prohibited both In and Out of Competition in the WADA Prohibited List of Substances," the BCCI release said. 

Shaw's suspension is retrospective in nature, starting from March 16 and ending on November 15 which rules him out of India's home series against South Africa and Bangladesh. Shaw is the second high-profile Indian cricketer after Yusuf Pathan to have been suspended for a doping violation. Yusuf, elder brother of Irfan Pathan, received a back-dated ban of five months from BCCI in January 2018. 

The entire saga has now raised a lot of questions on the board's handling of young talents.

Meanwhile, BCCI's anti-doping manager, Dr Abhijit Salvi, has now come forward to clarify the board's stand. Speaking to a cricket website, Salvi on Thursday said he gives his full efforts to make Indian cricketers understand the importance of the anti-doping programmes but players sometimes tend to miss it.

Salvi made his stance clear and said there are cricketers from Under 16 and Unter 14 who are particular about anti-doping regulations, but sometimes they tend to overlook the issues while taking the medicines that contain banned substances.

"I keep telling the players even if it is paracetamol, which is not banned, even if it is a tablet for fever, call me. I won't be irritated. I am there to help you. But somewhere people tend to think it is okay, it is just a cough syrup. How can it contain a banned substance? And then make the mistake," Salvi told ESPNCricinfo.

"I am sure Prithvi knew about BCCI having an anti-doping programme and the helpline. He attended at least three anti-doping education programmes with us. He might have even attended the ICC's programme conducted at the Under-19 World Cup in 2018. So he was well aware, but probably he just overlooked it and thought to himself 'okay, the cough syrup shouldn't be that dangerous'.

"As I said, I try and explain to the players in each and every possible language, to the best way they can understand the importance of anti-doping programme. But at times you know some cricketers tend to overlook.

"Having said that, there are many junior and young players, who call me regularly from different parts of the country, even Under-16 and Under-14 at times. On a daily basis, I get 20-25 queries on the helpline," Salvi said.

Shaw has already reacted to the whole matter as he accepted his faith and promised to come back stronger from this setback.