Russell considers appeal over one year ban
ANDRE Russell has been called a “clean athlete” despite being handed a oneyear ban from cricket for failing to file his whereabouts three times in 2015.
Under the World AntiDoping Agency (WADA) rules that amounts to a failed dope test.
The ban will last for 12 months from January 31 after a three-member tribunal found Russell guilty of being negligent.
Russell’s lawyer Patrick Foster has said he “disagrees” with the ban imposed on the all-rounder, though, and stated there was a “possibility” of an appeal.
Foster said: “Mr Russell and his legal team are carefully reading and reviewing the ruling as regards the next steps and the possibility of an early appeal of the decision of the panel’s ruling.
“While we respect the ruling, we respectfully disagree with it and are very disappointed that the panel saw it fit to impose a one-year ineligibility period.
“Mr Russell is a clean athlete who seeks to uphold the integrity of cricket. He respects and makes every effort to be compliant with the rules of sport generally, cricket and to comply with anti-doping rules and procedures.”
Despite playing one Test and 51 ODIs for the West Indies, Russell has become somewhat of a T20 specialist in recent times appearing in five domestic tournaments around the world in 2016 as well as winning the World T20.
Russell used this as a defence after failing to file his whereabouts for January 1, July 1 and July 25 in 2015 despite several reminders through calls, emails and written letters.
Russell told the tribunal that he had not been negligent and after considering his cricketing commitments around the world, and his own lack of training in filing the required paperwork, he said he had authorised his agent Will Quinn and Tajae Smith, one of the JADCO (Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission) officials, to take care of the process.
However, JADCO legal counsel Lackston Robinson disagreed saying the players had been offered education programmes on anti-doping which also involved filing procedure.