Russell's legal team pushes for one year ban to be thrown out

The legal team of Jamaica and West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell, led by Queen's Counsel Patrick Foster is seeking to have the cricketer's one year ban received at the end of January thrown out by the local anti-doping appeals tribunal. This is in response to JADCO's decision in February to appeal for Russell's one year ban to be doubled.

In the respondent's appeal document submitted to the justice Karl Harrison chaired appeals tribunal on March 20, Russell lodged a cross appeal, asking that JADCO's charge of a whereabouts rule violation, which resulted in a one year ban, be dismissed. It also calls for the decision rendered by the Independent Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel be set aside.

Russell's legal team argues that the issue of whether the recording by JADCO of the third filing failure was irregular, be considered  afresh, pursuant to the JADCO rules 2015.

Meanwhile, in a second filing to the appeals tribunal, Russell's lawyers said JADCO's appeal against the one year ban should be dismissed as there is no basis to impose a two year ban.

The team which argues that the weight of the evidence and case law from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) as well as the principle of proportionality relied on by the disciplinary panel, favoured the one year ban given to the two-time Twenty20 World Cup winner.