BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - AN independent anti-doping panel has handed hard-hitting West Indies all-rounder, Andre Russell a one-year suspension from the sport.
The judgement handed down today (Jan. 31) comes into immediate effect and would see him being unable to play until January 30, 2018.
The Jamaican, who is known for his flamboyant style of cricket, was part of the West Indies setup that won the World T20 Championships last year.
He was slapped with the ban after it was revealed that he was negligent with disclosing his whereabouts, as required by all professional athletes.
The Jamaica failed in three instances to provide such information, and according to the World Anti-Doping Agency, that equates to a failed test.
A cloud was hanging over Russell’s head since last year when the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) brought the case to light.
According to Cricinfo.com, Russell failed to submit his whereabouts for January 1, July 1 and July 25, all in 2015.
The announcement comes on the heels of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stripping Usain Bolt and company of their 2008 Olympic Games 4X100m relay Gold Medal.
That was the result of teammate Nesta Carter’s samples testing positive for the banned stimulant Methylhexaneamine.
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