Indian opener Prithvi Shaw has been in the news for the wrong reasons recently. He was suspended by the BCCI on charges of a doping violation.
As per a statement of BCCI reported by IANS, Shaw had unintentionally ingested a prohibited substance, which can be commonly found in cough syrups. His urine sample contained Terbutaline.
The statement of the board said, "Shaw had provided a urine sample as part of the BCCI's anti-doping testing programme during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match on February 22 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 statement further went on to say that Shaw has accepted the charges by explaining that due to having a cough he took a cough syrup over the counter which contained the substance. The BCCI accepted his explanation and he was banned till November 15.
But, Mumbai team coach Vinayak Samant and physio Deepak Tomar have reportedly mentioned that the player who was with them when they travelled to Indore for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy did not complain of any cough or cold, as reported by the Times of India. Even team manager Ganesh Iyer also stated that the 19-year-old player did not inform him either.
"He had slight fever. But there were no symptoms of cough or cold. Neither did he approach us with any complaints, nor did he ask for remedy. We were available at all times," Samant and Tomar told TOI.
"I noticed he had some cold. But he did not come and tell me anything," Ganesh Iyer told TOI.
According to the BCCI report prepared by board's anti-doping manager Abhijit Salvi with information from National Cricket Academy (NCA) head Toofan Ghosh and head physiotherapist Ashish Kaushik, it read that Shaw consulted his father who told him to go to a pharmacy and get the medicine.
The report read, "He consulted his father, who suggested he visit a pharmacy to obtain a remedy for his symptoms. Shaw visited a local pharmacy close to the hotel in Indore, where a pharmacist recommended to him an over-the-counter syrup that he said would provide immediate relief."
According to sources close to Shaw informed TOI that the cricketer is hardly in touch with his father as he has been living with Shiv Sena MLA from Mumbai Sanjay Potnis for the last 10 years. So it is very unlikely that he will talk to his father.
According to the report, Shaw knew that cough syrups contain the prohibited substance. Then why did he consume it?
Tomar further added that Prithvi came to him and mentioned that he was not feeling well but never talked about having a cough and cold.
"Prithvi came to me once saying he's not feeling well and I asked him to rest. But at no point did he say he has cough or cold," Tomar told TOI.
All these information raise many questions on how BCCI settled the case of doping with Shaw.
