BCCI rejects anti-doping clause, stands by its players

Mumbai, Aug 2 (PTI) Strongly backing its players, the
BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) Sunday rejected a
controversial WADA anti-doping clause which makes it mandatory
for cricketers to be available for out of competition testing,
a decision which puts the Indian Board on collision course
with the ICC.

The BCCI said it has no problem with players being tested
as part of the WADA Code but it fully shares their concerns on
the 'Whereabouts Clause', which requires them to furnish
information about their location three months in advance for
out of competition tests.

The decision to back its players was taken at an
emergency meeting of the Working Committee which deliberated
at length on the issue. Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Yuvraj
Singh and Harbhajan Singh were present in the meeting.

"We are agreeing with the dope testing code, we are only
objecting to the system. The issue is out of competition
testing. Our players are ready to be tested but they say they
are not in a position to give their whereabouts. We back the
players on this," BCCI President Shashank Manohar told
reporters here after the meeting.

"You cannot invade the privacy of individuals. I don't
know what the ICC will do. The implications of this decision
would be decided after we write to the ICC. Today, it would be
jumping the gun," he added.

The BCCI gave three reasons for not agreeing to the
clause, saying it was unreasonable, violated the Indian
constitution and was an invasion of the players' privacy.

"The players have security cover and they cannot disclose
their whereabouts with a security cover. Secondly, the privacy
of an individual cannot be invaded and thirdly, our
constitution gives a guarantee regarding an individual's
privacy. You cannot invade on somebody's privacy 24 hours a
day for 365 days," Manohar said.

The BCCI's tough stand has put the ICC in a quandary since
cricketers of most other Test playing nations have agreed to
sign the code. It effectively signals a fresh tussle between
the BCCI and the game's governing body, which have been at
loggerheads on a number of occasions in recent past.

Asked the options ICC might have in the wake of BCCI's
refusal to sign the code, Manohar said it was not necessary to
adhere to the code.

"WADA is a private agency engaged by the ICC. Tomorrow
the ICC may say we don't want you. We can have our own dope
testing mechanism," Manohar said.

The BCCI said though the code has been in discussion
since 2006, the mechanism for testing was never deliberated
upon in any of the ICC meetings.

"The issue came up in 2006 when it was discussed and
everybody agreed that there should not be any doping in
cricket. Cricket should be WADA compliant. But the system of
testing was never discussed at ICC," Manohar revealed.

BCCI secretary N Srinivasan, who was also present at the
meeting, also emphasised that the players were not trying to
evade dope tests but were only concerned about their privacy.

"Indian players have never objected to dope test even out
of competition. We have told the ICC that if you want a player
to be tested out of competition, you tell us the name and we
will produce him but the whereabouts clause of 24-hour
availability is a problem," he said.

The ICC, on its part, said it was aware of the Indian
players' concerns on the matter and it was confident that a
solution can be worked out.

"The ICC is grateful to the BCCI for its time. We are
aware of the issues and the concerns but we are confident they
can be sorted out. We are looking for a practical solution.
The next step is the matter to be taken to the ICC Board,"
ICC's Media and Communications Manager Brian Murgatroyd said.

The BCCI President had telephonic discussion with Sachin
Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag on the clause before the Working
Committee meeting.

While most international sportspersons have signed the
clause, Indian cricketers are not isolated either as
football's governing FIFA is also not a signatory to the code.

FIFA is still negotiating with WADA to review the
contentious clause and the BCCI may cite this while seeking a
review from the ICC.

The ICC had asked all its affiliated members to get their
players sign the World Anti-Doping Agency's Code by July 31
but the BCCI was faced with the reluctance of 11 of its chosen
cricketers, including two women, to comply with the code.

The cricketers are uncomfortable with the "Whereabouts"
clause which makes it necessary for them to give details about
their availability for one hour every day (between 6 am and 11
pm) for random out-of-competition testing by WADA officials.

WADA said these are powerful deterrents and means of
detecting doping by athletes.

This specific rule is also part of the WADA's revised
International Standard for Testing (IST) that came into effect
along with the revised Anti-Doping Code on January 1 this
year.

The revised IST was approved by WADA's Executive
Committee, composed in equal parts of representatives from
governments and sport, on May 10 last year.

The 11 Indian cricketers who are part of the country's
testing pool are Tendulkar, Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Gautam
Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan, Munaf Patel, Zaheer Khan,
Harbhajan Singh, Jhulan Goswami and Mithali Raj. PTI SSR
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