ICC suspends Pakistan''s Yasir Shah for failing dope test

Lahore, February 7

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Sunday suspended Pakistan bowler Yasir Shah from all cricket-related activities for three months after he pleaded guilty to breaching its Anti-Doping Code.

Shah had provided a urine sample as part of the ICC's random in-competition testing programme after the conclusion of the One Day International between England and Pakistan in Abu Dhabi on November 13 last year.

His sample was tested thereafter and it was found to contain chlortalidone, a drug classified as a "specified substance" under World Anti Doping Agency's (WADA) prohibited list.

Shah admitted the violation and a three-month suspension has been imposed on him that started on December 27, 2015 and will end on March 27.

"Today's announcement reinforces ICC's zero-tolerance approach to doping, and reminds all international cricketers that they remain personally responsible for ensuring that anything they eat, drink or put into their bodies does not result in an anti-doping rule violation," Geoff Allardice, general manager for cricket, said in a statement.

The 29-year-old leg-spinner admitted he had taken the substance by mistake and urged other players to learn from his mistake.

"I assure all fans and followers of the Pakistan cricket team that I have never taken a performance enhancing substance nor have I ever had the intent of masking any such substance. I have always been careful to check my medication with doctors and medical support staff to ensure it does not contain any substance on the prohibited list," he said.

"However, I acknowledge that I should have taken extra precautions to ensure that my blood pressure medication was stored separately from my wife's medication so that there was no possibility of my wife's medication being mistaken for my own. Therefore, I accept the consequences imposed upon me." "My experience should act as a timely reminder to all cricketers that they are solely responsible for what goes into their bodies. All professional cricketers need to exercise a high degree of caution and ensure that under any circumstance they do not take anything (including medication) that could lead to a violation." — IANS