Staying Away from Cricket Due to Doping Ban was Torture: Prithvi Shaw

Young Indian opener Prithvi Shaw has opened up on the doping ban he received last year, saying the period off the cricket was a “torture”.

Last year, Shaw was handed a back-dated eight-month ban for a doping violation on July 30 by the BCCI. Shaw had inadvertently ingested a prohibited substance, which can be commonly found in cough syrups.

“You have to be careful about what you consume. Even a simple drug like paracetamol. This is for all the young cricketers out there who aren’t aware about these things,”Shaw said while speaking to Times of India.

“Even if you take a small medicine, you must get it approved with your doctor or the BCCI doctors. It’s better to ask the doctors about the banned substances and take necessary precautions so that you don’t get into trouble,” he added.

Shaw was part of the India ODI and Test team in New Zealand which the visitors lost quite comprehensively.

Shaw, 20, said he has learnt the lesson and will never repeat the same mistake. “Like in my case, I had a cough syrup which I didn’t know was a banned substance. I have learnt a lesson from this and will not repeat it,” he said.

“Even if I am having a basic medicine, I run that through the BCCI doctors to ensure that there are no banned substances in it. Time away from cricket was a difficult period for me. It was a torture. It should not happen to anyone,” he added.