BCCI takes first steps to get compliance in dope testing

MUMBAI: The International Cricket Council and the Indian Board narrowed their stand on the national body becoming doping compliant, although their agreement on Monday did not seem to answer a few key issues.

ICC seemed to take a big step in convincing BCCI to become World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) compliant. The Board is set to work with the National Anti-doping Agency (NADA) for six months on a trial basis.

The decision was made after ICC chairman Shashank Manohar met the Supreme Court appointed-committee of Administrators in Mumbai on Monday. A six-month tripartite agreement between ICC, BCCI and NADA will see samples of the registered pool of players go to the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) through NADA. The agency will collect only 10 per cent samples from BCCI’S pool of players, but there is no clarity on which players and where samples will be col- lected. months’ calendar day-wise. It’s

While all other national high security risk (to share the cricket Boards are WADA comlocation). Players like Dhoni are pliant, BCCI stuck to its own testhigh security.” ing arrangement, citing its mis“In the BCCI doping set-up, trust of NADA’S testing due to target testing was done only durinstances of its sample collection ing tournaments. Under NADA, goof-ups. The physical sample the testers can land up any time,” collection will be done by BCCI a BCCI insider said. and handed to NADA, though it ICC’S bid to bring India into has to be seen if this would hurt the fold is due to the push to get sanctity of the process. cricket in the 2028 Olympics.

BCCI’S mistrust is due to the The old guard in BCCI is not high number of dope positives keen to see cricket in the Olymamong Indian athletes. In 2012, pics or other multi-sport events. there were over 240 positives, A senior BCCI official said the reflecting a poor awareness proBoard can’t be pushed under gramme and hinting at collusion NADA jurisdiction as it is not a in the doping of players. In 2013, national federation but an autonIndia was rated the third worst omous body. An expert cited country in doping. There were FIFA and AFC. “They do their three positives between 2010 and own testing and education pro2018 in Indian cricket. gramme. They don’t allow any

An expert said one sensitive interference in dope testing (from issue to deal with was the whereWADA or NADA).” abouts clause. “It requires the For BCCI, the sample is taken cricketers to disclose their locaby a Swedish company, testing is tion to the International Sports done by NDTL, recognised by Federation (IF), or in India’s case SAI and sports ministry. The NADA. There are two reasons result management is done by (for players’ reluctance): it’s internationally recognised lawnearly impossible to get three yers and judges.