Yasir Shah to appeal against ICC ban

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has informed the International Cricket Council (ICC) on behalf of leg-spinner Yasir Shah that he will be exercising his right to appeal against the provisional ban imposed on him last month for a failed dope test.

A senior official of the PCB confirmed on Sunday that they had informed the ICC that Yasir will file his appeal by the given deadline of January 12th. "The purpose of informing the ICC about the appeal is that the ICC will now according to anti-doping regulations form an independent tribunal within two weeks to hear the appeal.

"We have told the ICC today that Yasir will appeal the ban since he took the blood pressure medicine of his wife by mistake and there was no intention to use any masking agent," the official said. "A written and detailed appeal will be sent to them on January 12," he said. He said the PCB medical panel and legal experts had studied Yasir s case and after listening to him came to the conclusion that he should exercise his right to appeal under ICC regulations. PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan said that Yasir had taken the medicine prescribed for his wife s high blood pressure by mistake late night during the series against England.

"His family also has a history of blood pressure and heart condition problems," he told the media this week in Karachi. Yasir, 29, who has taken 76 Test wickets in 12 matches was provisionally banned from all forms of cricket last month after the results of the random dope test carried out on November 12 came positive for use of chlortalidone, which is on WADA's prohibited list of diuretics and masking agents. Chlortalidone also treats high BP.