Pradeep Sangwan still hopeful despite ban

On Saturday, the BCCI slapped an 18-month ban on Pradeep Sangwan, the left-arm seamer found guilty of violating the doping regulations of the Board.

It was always in the offing. The media had reported the tenure of the ban about a couple of weeks back. Chetan Chauhan was quoted as saying that they tried to help the bowler by getting the ban reduced. However, it didn’t happen. The ban, which begins on May 6 this year will run until November 5, 2014.

Sources say Sangwan seems to have been given an injection to relieve him of shoulder pain by a local doctor during the Vijay Hazare one-dayers just before the IPL. Delhi won the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

“I am still hopeful. I think the BCCI can reduce the ban using the clause 10.5.3,” Sangwan told Delhi Cricket last night.

This clause states:

"An anti-doping organisation ... may ... suspend a part of the period of ineligibility imposed in an individual case where the athlete or other person has provided substantial assistance to an anti-doping organisation, criminal authority or professional disciplinary body which results in the anti-doping organisation discovering or establishing an anti-doping rule violation by another person or which results in a criminal or disciplinary body discovering or establishing a criminal offence or the breach of professional rules by another person ... No more than three-quarters of the otherwise applicable period of ineligibility may be suspended."

It actually means that if the Anti-doping body applies this clause in the case of Sangwan he will have to serve the ban for six months – it should end on November 5.

The penalty is being termed as harsh by the Delhi cricket officials. A doping offence by New Zealand’s Jesse Ryder got him six months’ ban while the maximum punishment meted out in cricket has been to Shane Warne and that’s been for 1 year.

The anti-doping official PS Chandran, however, says that the penalty for such violations is for two years. If he is being given for 18 months, it means the anti-doping agency is being a bit lenient, according to Chandran.

Sangwan feels the BCCI will try and look into the matter and use the particular clause to reduce ban.