Yasir’s medical history may save him, hopes PCB

KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is planning to pursue the case of Yasir Shah, who has been provisionally suspended for anti-doping violations, on the grounds of the player’s medical history which states that he is a blood pressure patient and regularly takes medicines for it.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) charged Yasir Shah with an anti-doping rule violation under the ICC Anti-Doping Code.
The sample Yasir provided in an in-competition test, which was conducted on November 13, 2015, was found to contain the presence of chlortalidone, a prohibited substance which appears in Section 5 of the WADA Prohibited List (in the category of Specified Substances).In accordance with the ICC Anti-Doping Code, pending the outcome of the disciplinary process, Yasir remains provisionally suspended.
A PCB official, who is part of the committee looking into the matter, said they have decided not to go for B sample tests as they believe that the case can be resolved on medical grounds.
“We’ve decided to take up Yasir’s case on medical grounds as he is a genuine patient of blood pressure,” the official told The Express Tribune.
He added that the case is already being dealt with behind the scenes. “The board had been in contact with the ICC on the issue and everything is being worked out very professionally,” he said.“The PCB wanted certain details regarding the report as the committee had some qualms regarding it but given Yasir’s medical history, we feel his case is genuine. He regularly takes blood pressure medicines to keep the problem under control and this time around he changed the medicine on his wife’s advice.”
While critics and medical experts have been claiming that chlortalidone is taken as a masking agent to hide doping, the official was certain that Yasir has nothing to hide.
“Yasir is very professional and we believe he isn’t involved in any form of doping,” he said. “The PCB is hopeful that his case will be fought successfully and expect the ICC to understand that he is a medical patient who just made a mistake.”