A month and a half after final submissions were tendered in the whereabouts rule violation hearing of West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell, there is still no word as to when a decision will be made in his case.
The final hearing in the case took place at the Jamaica Conference Centre on November 17, and Hugh Faulkner, chairman of the three-man independent anti-doping disciplinary panel which presided over the hearing and also included Dr Majorie Vassell and Dixeth Palmer, told the gathering at that point that a decision should be reached in two to three weeks’ time.
However, nearly two months later, Russell, who is currently playing in the Australia Big Bash Twenty20 league, is still no closer to knowing his fate.
When The Gleaner contacted Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) Executive Director Carey Brown, he could shed no further light on the situation.
“Please be advised that final submissions were made on November 17, 2016. The commission awaits the ruling of the independent anti-doping disciplinary panel,” read the response, which was sent through JADCO’s Director of Communications and Education Vanessa Reid-Ledford.
The Gleaner also tried to contact the tribunal’s chairman, Faulkner, but calls to his phone went unanswered.
Russell is accused of missing three doping tests between January and July 2015. If found guilty, the cricketer could be suspended for up to two years under the World Anti-Doping Agency code, as three missed tests a year amounts to a failed dope test.
The case commenced on September 19, but overran its course due to unforeseen delays. However, both parties were able to sufficiently submit their cases over the five-day hearing.