Andre Russell appeals against the extension of his ban

West Indian allrounder Andre Russell suffered a huge blow when an independent anti-doping panel banned him from playing cricket for one year. He was banned for violating the whereabouts clause. His exclusion from cricket for one year was effective from 31st January of this year and will remain until January 30, 2018.

A panel consisting Dixeth Palmer, a former Jamaica cricketer, Hugh Faulkner, Dr. Marjorie Vassell found Russell to be guilty of the Anit-Doping code and abolished him from cricket for a year. This ban meant that he missed the Pakistan Super League which was a huge success and is going to miss the all-important 10th edition of the cash-rich Indian Premier League.

However, according to the reports from the Reuters News Agency from Kingston, Jamaica’s Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) has asked to double the suspension pressed on the star cricketer. Russell who is a two-time Twenty20 World Cup winner with the West Indies violated the whereabouts clause thrice which constitutes that he failed the Drug test under World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules and regulations.

Russell has appealed against the extension of his ban. His appeal states that there is no basis on which the suspension should be extended. JADCO, however, is going to stay with their appeal as Russell’s opposition for the same will be taken into consideration.

As per the report, he was absent on March 1, July 1 and on July 25 in 2015 when the authorities tried to contact him for random sampling. Russell decided against replying to the emails and neglected all the calls and the letters. He was then charged for the negligence by the JADCO.

Patrick Foster who is the lawyer of the West Indian all-rounder said that if all the allegations of negligence were true and if the player was tested positive then the ban on Russell from playing cricket cannot be more than one year. However, Russell has thus been banned since then and will not take part in any cricketing activity until January 30, 2018.