Yusuf Pathan thanks BCCI for fair trial post doping ban

Indian all-rounder Yusuf Pathan, who has been suspended for five months after failing a dope test, has thanked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for allowing him to plead his case in a fair and reasonable manner.

The BCCI banned Yusuf, earlier in the day, for five months after he was tested positive for a banned substance during a domestic T-20 competition in the national capital in March last year.

Pathan once again clarified that he 'inadvertently' ingested a prohibited substance - Terbutaline - to treat throat infection.

"I had received a letter from the BCCI on 27.10.2017, stating that I had failed a doping test for the substance 'terbutaline'. The prohibited substance was detected in my sample because of a medicine that I was taking for a throat infection," Pathan said.

Pathan insisted that playing for India and his home state had been a matter of immense pride for him and that he would never do anything which will spoil their image.

"Right from the first day, I had full faith in Allah that I would be cleared of intentional doping. I have always competed in a fair and transparent manner. Competing for India and my home state Baroda has been a matter of immense pride and encouragement for me and I would never act in any manner to bring my motherland or Baroda, in any kind of disrepute. I would like to once again assure to the BCCI, the Baroda Cricket Association and my fans and I promise to be more careful with what I consume henceforth. In hindsight, I should have been more careful and checked the status of the medications with BCCI's dedicated Anti-Doping Helpline," Pathan said.

"I wish to thank the BCCI for allowing me to plead my case in a fair and reasonable manner. I also wish to thank my manager, my support staff, my family as well as my lawyer Visushpat Singhania and his team for their continued support and faith throughout the case," he added.

Pathan's retrospective suspension will end on January 14, 2018 after the BCCI was satisfied with the out-of-favour batsman's explanation that he consumed the banned substance unintentionally and not to enhance his performance.

"The BCCI is satisfied with Pathan's explanation that he had taken Terbutaline inadvertently to treat an Upper Respiratory Tract Infection (URTI) and not as a performance-enhancing drug. Having considered all of the evidence and taken expert external advice, the BCCI has accepted Pathan's explanation of the cause of his ADRV, and on that basis has agreed that a period of ineligibility of five months should apply, together with the disqualification of certain results," the board had earlier said.