BCCI, ministry discuss NADA and Pak
MUMBAI: In a bid to convince the sports minister of the dope testing procedure followed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, its CEO Rahul Johri and General Manager Ratnakar Shetty met Rajyavardhan Rathore on Wednesday.
There has been increased pressure for the National AntiDoping Agency to take over the testing of cricketers.
It is learnt the BCCI officials explained to the minister details of its dope-testing programme and how it is World Anti-doping Agency complaint.
Olympian Rathore told the BCCI officials he has left it to WADA to decide who should be conducting the testing.
The ministry and NADA have been at loggerheads with the BCCI over the testing. NADA wants to collect blood and urine samples of all cricketers, which the BCCI is resisting. The BCCI has entrusted the sample collection to a Swedish agency, International Doping Tests and Management (IDTM).
The BCCI maintained it was a courtesy call and that Johri and Shetty spent around 45 minutes with Rathore.
“It was a general meeting with Rathore. They wanted to pay him a visit after he became the sports minister. Being a sportsman, he is in a great position to understand the issues of the players. They discussed various issues,” informed a BCCI insider.
ON MATCHES AGAINST PAKISTAN
During yesterday’s meeting, it was decided that Rahul will be accompanied by Prof Shetty as he is aware of the anti doping policy of the BCCI. Since Rathore took charge, they wanted to meet him. All issues, including cricketing ties with Pakistan, were discussed.
PTIADDS: “Anyway, playing Pakistan or not, it is not only the decision of Sports Ministry but it lies mainly with PMO and the Home Ministry,” the official said.
Also discussed was the contentious issue of playing Pakistan. India has not played any bilateral series with Pakistan since the limited overs series featuring two T20IS and three ODIS in India in 2012-13.
The Twenty20 series was drawn and Pakistan won the ODIS 2-1. As per the ICC Future Tours Program, each of its member countries are bound to play against each other at least once and if India do not play with Pakistan, they would lose points.