West Indies cricketer Andre Russell admits anxiety ahead of tomorrow’s expected verdict from the Independent Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel on whether he committed a whereabouts violation.

But Russell, 28, said he has faith in his legal team and is banking on the power of prayer of those close to him, including his St Catherine Cricket Club teammates.

“As I said in the team meeting to the guys, I just would love for them to say a prayer for me, and I’ve been praying for myself as well,” he told the Jamaica Observer on Saturday following his club’s win over Melbourne CC in a local 50-over semi-final game at Chedwin Park.

“I have faith (in) the work that my lawyers put out… I think they summed up things very well,” added the all-rounder after his three-wicket haul set the platform for St Catherine CC’s victory.

The disciplinary panel, comprising Chairman Hugh Faulkner, Dr Marjorie Vassell and former national cricketer Dixeth Palmer, convened a tribunal that ran from September to November last year.

The Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO), represented by Attorney Lackston Robinson, has accused Russell of failing to file his whereabouts on three occasions during a 12-month period.

Russell’s lawyers, including Queen’s Counsel Patrick Foster and Donovan Walker, have maintained that the respondent was not negligent.

Under World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) regulations, three whereabouts filing failures during a one-year period amount to a failed test, which may attract a ban of up to 24 months.

WADA rules require that athletes make their whereabouts known to local anti-doping agencies to facilitate testing.

Since news of the alleged failures broke early last year, Russell, a prominent Twenty20 (T20) player, has continued involvement in various regional and international cricket leagues.

Only a left hamstring injury ended his run with Sydney Thunder in the Australian Big Bash earlier this month.

He concedes playing competitively in such circumstances has been a bruising, psychological battle.

“It’s been stressing and hard playing cricket and all that’s in the back of your head. But at the end of the day you have to do what you have to do. It’s like a big cloud over my head,” lamented the West Indies T20 star.

Russell’s love for the game and insatiable appetite for playing it — exemplified by his enthusiasm to turn out for his boyhood club when available — throws attention to his plan if he is handed an unfavourable verdict.

“If I get a ban then definitely I’m out of cricket [during the period of the suspension]; I mean all formats. So I’d just love to know I’m back and I can represent Jamaica Tallawahs, West Indies, and all the other teams I play for in the world.

“Honestly, I’m being positive and I haven’t been thinking about anything else that I want to do apart from playing cricket; doing what I love. I have so many fans out there and they would be disappointed, just as I would be,” he explained to the

Observer.

Pressed further, Russell said: “After this hurdle I’d come together with my management and think about doing something else, but I just want to remain positive at the moment. I think I can [avoid a suspension] with the help of God; I think it’s out of my control, so I just have to wait on what happens on Tuesday.”

Russell was a key member of the West Indies team that won the 2016 T20 Cricket World Cup in India in April. He also helped Jamaica Tallawahs to lift the Caribbean Premier League title last summer.