The hearing convened by the Independent Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel into the allegation that West Indies cricketer Andre Russell violated a whereabouts clause is scheduled to continue this morning at 10:00.
It is to be held at Jamaica Conference Centre in Kingston.
The disciplinary panel is set to comprise Chairman Hugh Faulkner, Dr Marjorie Vassell, and former Jamaica cricketer Dixeth Palmer.
The Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) accuses Russell, 28, of failing to file his whereabouts, resulting in his missing three doping tests over a 12-month period. Under World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) regulations that amounts to a failed test.
The rules require that athletes make their whereabouts known to local anti-doping agencies to facilitate testing. An athlete may face a ban of up to two years if found in violation.
Russell’s alleged filing failures were dated January 1, 2015, July 1, 2015 and July 25, 2015.
At the previous hearing on September 19, all parties agreed to an early afternoon adjournment. At the time, Queen’s Counsel Patrick Foster, the lead attorney representing Russell, was cross-examining JADCO employee Nadia Vassell and was probing the basis of the last two alleged filing failures. Vassell’s cross-examination is expected to continue today.
Earlier, Lackston Robinson, the JADCO lawyer, while leading Vassell through her witness testimony, had built a case pointing to negligence on Russell’s part.
Also at last week’s hearing, tentative dates were set for the hearing to be completed on October 6 and 7.
The October dates were set to allow sufficient recuperation time for JADCO’s Executive Director Carey Brown, who is listed as the second witness to be called by the commission. The panel was informed that he had been injured in a mishap and was unable to take the witness stand.
Russell, a prominent West Indies all-rounder, has represented Twenty20 (T20) cricket franchises in India, Bangladesh, Australia and England.
He was an integral member of the West Indies team that won the 2016 T20 World Cup in India in April.
Russell played a star role as Jamaica Tallawahs lifted the Caribbean Premier League T20 crown for a second time last month.
