Doubts increase over Prithvi Shaw’s Terbutaline saga

Last month, Prithvi Shaw was handed over a backdated eight-month suspension by the Board of Control for Cricket in India. The same was for the reason that he ingested a prohibited Substance named Terbutaline. His urine sample was taken on February 22 and it tested positive. The 19-year-old Young Turk won’t be able to return to the cricket field until the third week of November.

He was disappointed and released a statement where he asked other youngsters to be cautious. After the commotion, the BCCI also came under the ambit of the National Anti-Doping Agency. In the meantime, more confusion has arisen over Shaw’s positive test. Previously, in BCCI’s timeline, it was seen that there was a gap of two months between Shaw’s sample collection and NDTL’s report.

Now, Mumbai team coach Vinayak Samant and physiotherapist Deep Tomar said that Prithvi didn’t complain of cough or cold during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. “He had a slight fever. But there were no symptoms of cough or cold. Neither did he approach us with any complaints, nor did he ask for a remedy. We were available at all times,” Samant and Tomar told The Times of India (TOI).

More drama to the Shaw conundrum

It adds more to the fact that Shaw’s case wasn’t handled properly by any means. Earlier, BCCI’s own report stated about Shaw’s cough and cold. “Having travelled to Indore (for Mushtaq Ali matches), Shaw began (suffering from) common cough and cold,” it mentioned.

Ganesh Iyer, the team manager, who was also travelling with the team during the domestic T20 tournament, threw more light on the matter. “I noticed he had some cold. But he did not come and tell me anything,” Ganesh was quoted as saying.

However, as per the BCCI report prepared by the board’s anti-doping manager Abhijit Salvi with the help of National Cricket Academy (NCA) head Toofan Ghosh and head physiotherapist Ashish Kaushik, Shaw consulted his father, who suggested him a pharmacy for remedies to his symptoms.

“Shaw does not recall the brand name of the cough syrup he used.” But, according to BCCI’s own report, Shaw acknowledges that “many cough syrups that are available over the counter contain terbutaline (the content that Shaw tested positive for)”.

“Basically, Shaw is admitting he knew most cough syrups contain terbutaline. He knew it but still took it. What is happening here?” sources told the same media house. Sources also mentioned that it’s up to Ghosh, the NCA head, to address the media on the issue.

10 cricketers and the cost of their luxurious houses