West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell has been banned for one year from cricket for a doping code violation.

Russell, who played for the Knight’s in last year’s CSA T20 Challenge, broke a whereabouts clause in 2015, as he failed to file his location on three occasions, constituting a failed drugs test under World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) guidelines.

The 28-year-old’s punishment was handed down by the Jamaican Anti-Doping Commission on Tuesday.

Russell has played for numerous T20 franchises around the world, including Kolkata Knight Riders, Jamaica Tallawahs and Dhaka Dynamites. His Australian side, Sydney Thunder, lamented the situation.

‘We are devastated for Andre,’ said Thunder general manager Nick Cummins.

‘We haven’t seen the written judgement, but given the circumstances surrounding the filing failures we thought he had a good chance of being exonerated.’

Under WADA’s whereabouts rules, elite athletes must supply details of where they will be for one hour each day to facilitate drug tests.

Sydney Thunder director of cricket Mike Hussey shared Cummins’ regret for Russell.

‘I feel for him. He’s been going through a really tough time of late with all the “whereabouts” saga going on and he’s been waiting to hear the finding of that hearing,’ Hussey told the Cricket Australia website.

‘I want him to go away and get better physically but also mentally.’

 

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