West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell has been banned from cricket for 1 year for a whereabouts clause violation by an independent anti-doping panel.

The ban is effective immediately and will last till January 30, 2018.

Russell was found guilty of being negligent in filing his whereabouts on three separate occasions within a 12-month period in 2015. 

That - under the World Anti-Doping Agency rules - amounts to a failed dope test.

The ban means that Russell will miss playing for the Pakistan Super League, which begins on February 9th, as well as the Indian Premier League, English county cricket and the Caribbean Premier League.

Russell can appeal against the verdict but even if he does do so, his ban won’t be coming off anytime soon.

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