JOIN USDelhi and Kolkata Knight Riders’ left-arm paceman Pradeep Sangwan has tested positive for a banned substance under the anti-doping rules, it was revealed on Thursday.
Sangwan’s ‘A’ sample, collected out of competition during the Indian Premier League (IPL) this season, tested positive for a “steroid,” according to sources. An anti-doping disciplinary tribunal, appointed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, will decide on the action to be taken against the paceman.
The bowler from Najafgarh played only two matches for KKR this season — against Royal Challengers Bangalore and SunRisers Hyderabad — and went wicketless in both.
He is currently in the United Kingdom where he had a surgery on his left shoulder that has been troubling him since last year.
The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) was notified by the BCCI a few days ago about the development.
“The BCCI speaks directly to the players and then informs the association. He has tested positive for a banned substance,” a top DDCA official told Deccan Herald.
Sangwan’s ‘B’ sample, as per the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules, needs to be tested within 14 days of the ‘A’ sample test. It, however, has been learnt that Sangwan is not keen on getting his ‘B’ sample tested. It was also learnt that Sangwan might have ingested the banned substance through some “fat burner” he was taking on the advice of his gym instructor.
The BCCI has been conducting dope tests in the IPL and the Champions League Twenty20 and this year even introduced it at the domestic level.
Contrary to the general understanding, BCCI is WADA code compliant since the International Cricket Council’s (ICC), to which it is affiliated, is a Code-compliant organisation as per WADA’s compliance review process.
With the BCCI tightening its noose on corruption and expressing zero-tolerance towards doping, it would mean the 22-year-old bowler is in for some strict action. “BCCI has no tolerance for doping. They have formed a strict stand on it. So he definitely is in for some tough measures,” a source said.
The process will involve a hearing by a BCCI-appointed panel after the ‘B’ sample is tested or the test is waived by the player. The BCCI can go ahead and test the ‘B’ sample even if the player chooses against it.
Sanction for serious offences under the IPL and the ICC anti-doping rules would be a two-year suspension. For ‘specified substances’ including several categories of stimulants, the punishment could be reduced if it is proved how the substance got into the body and that the player did not take it intentionally to enhance performance and he had taken all precautions to ensure that nothing prohibited was consumed.
Sangwan, a regular feature in Delhi’s domestic circuit, has taken 123 wickets in 38 first-class matches.