Delhi and Kolkata Knight Riders pacer Pradeep Sangwan failed a dope test recently.
“What’s new? We knew about this for almost a fortnight now.”
The reaction of some senior Delhi & District Cricket Association’s (DDCA) officials on Thursday was not that of shock. Rather, they knew about it for the last several days and are said to have have got instructions from the top brass “to not include Sangwan in any future Delhi team” till the matter is cleared.
The 22-year-old, who hails from Najafgarh, is currently in England and reportedly underwent shoulder surgery a few days back. His ‘A’ sample has reportedly shown traces of banned substances, the nature of which can only be confirmed after the ‘B’ tests are done.
What’s even more shocking is that though they were aware of this development, DDCA is bearing all the expenses related to Sangwan’s surgery in England.
As the news spread that the left-arm pacer failed a random dope test conducted during the 2013 season of the IPL, the Kotla premises saw a rush of scribes eager to get official reaction. But there was none from the DDCA to present their side of story.
The only official version came from senior vice-president Chetan Chauhan, who vowed to “fight for the young pacer”.
“We in DDCA will fight for this young lad. I’ve been told that he was battling shoulder pain during the IPL games and that’s how he might have taken some banned substance by fault,” defended the former India opener.
Chauhan informed that the association is spending nearly Rs 10 lakh towards Sangwan’s surgery. The amount includes his travel expense, the cost of surgery and his stay in the hospital.
dna has learnt that despite being informed almost a fortnight back, DDCA top brass was trying to keep the matter under wraps.
But a KKR official painted a completely different picture. “Sangwan told KKR officials that he was apparently taking some medicine to reduce his weight,” said a KKR official on condition of anonymity.
The big question here is: Why did the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and DDCA try to hide this information despite their claim of zero tolerance for any doping offence.
BCCI even set up its own doping agency last year after sports ministry tried to include it under the ‘New Sports Bill’, which makes it mandatory for all sports federations to come under the preview of the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) or the NADA (National Anti-doping Agency).
The pacer appeared in only two games for the KKR this season and failed to take a wicket. Sangwan has played 38 first-class matches for Delhi and played a stellar role in India’s victorious U-19 World Cup campaign in 2008. He has taken 123 wickets in 38 games.
The major doping fiascos in the cricketing world has seen legendary Shane Warne failing a drug test and being sent back home before the start of the 2003 ICC World Cup. Pakistani pacemen Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif also failed dope tests in 2006 before the Champions Trophy in India.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}