Prithvi Shaw overlooked the policy, says BCCI's anti-doping manager
Test opener Prithvi Shaw suffered a setback after he was suspended until November 15 by the BCCI over doping violation. The BCCI, in its release, stated Shaw had "inadvertently ingested a prohibited substance, which can be commonly found in cough syrups". However, BCCI's anti-doping manager Dr. Abhijit Salvi stated that Shaw most likely overlooked its policy, thinking cough syrup can't be that dangerous.
Shaw tested positive for Terbutaline
According to the official release, Shaw had tested positive for Terbutaline, a substance present in the prohibited list. Shaw had inadvertently taken the substance usually present in a cough syrup to treat 'Respiratory Tract Infection', and not enhance his performance.
Salvi says Shaw would have been aware of anti-doping policy
Salvi mentioned Shaw is an international cricketer and he would have been aware of BCCI's anti-doping policy, as he had attended three such workshops. Salvi added that Shaw must have attended an ICC workshop on the same. "So, he was well aware, but probably he just overlooked it and thought to himself okay, the cough syrup shouldn't be that dangerous," quoted Salvi to ESPNCricinfo.
Salvi believes Yusuf Pathan's case last year was an eye-opener
"Earlier, people were casual and did not bother checking all the medicines. Yusuf's case was an eye-opener for everyone. Other cricketers realized that they needed to be careful, too. That's when people who did not call earlier started checking their medicines regularly," added Salvi.
Salvi happy with the awareness program so far
Salvi talked about the current situation, stating that this was the first time three cases have come up in India. Since previously, it used to be the one-odd case, BCCI's education program has worked so far. "A sheer number of people calling in, the number of people being aware are far more than the number of people testing positive," Salvi further opined.
Shaw's backdated suspension rules him out of home series
Shaw has been given a backdated suspension by the BCCI, starting from March 16. However, this has effectively ruled him out of the upcoming home series against South Africa and Bangladesh in September and November. It would be interesting to see if he gets the call-up during the Windies series in December.
