http://www.gulfnews.com/sport/Cricket/10336970.htmlIndia stumps ICC's Olympic hopes
Dubai: The International Cricket Council's (ICC) hopes of securing an Olympic berth for the game were dealt a huge blow yesterday after India's top players refused to sign the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) code; a must if a sport is to be accepted in the Summer Games programme.
The players, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said, have cited the "whereabouts" clause in the code - which requires them to detail their whereabouts for an hour between 6am and 11pm every day for three months to allow for random out-of-competition testing - as the reason for not signing the contract.
This BCCI backed last year's unanimous ICC resolution to accept the new anti-doping norms, but now faces a sticky wicket as its stars are the only players in the world not to sign the WADA documents by the ICC-set deadline of August 1.
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To further compound matters, the BCCI has backed its players on the issue, saying it has no problem with Wada testing its cricketers but it "has a problem with the system of testing".
BCCI President Shashank Manohar said the body hopes to write to the ICC about the concerns raised by its players because it "agrees with the players that the system of testing is unreasonable".
It will now be interesting to see if the BCCI once again flexes its financial muscle in a bid to have the matter resolved in its favour and what the response of the ICC will be. A source within the ICC said its board will convene a meeting to settle the dispute.
"They [India's cricketers] are not ready to sign the whereabouts clause whereby they need to provide information of their whereabouts, but the Wada code had already been accepted in December last year by the (BCCI) and it has the approval of the ICC, so this is a completely different issue," a source within the ICC told Gulf News.
Meanwhile, a statement issued by the ICC following the BCCI's anti-doping working committee meeting yesterday said: "The International Cricket Council is grateful to the Board of Control for Cricket in India and its players for giving their time on Sunday to try and work through the issues relating to the implementation of the ICC Anti-Doping Code.
"The ICC has noted the decision of the BCCI working committee and is aware of the issues of concern and it remains confident they can be addressed to everyone's satisfaction.
"The ICC and the BCCI are committed to a zero-tolerance approach to doping in cricket, something reiterated by BCCI President Shashank Manohar when he addressed the media on Sunday.
"What both parties are looking for is a practical and mutually acceptable solution to the current situation.
"The next step is for this matter to be considered further by the ICC Board to find a way forward."
Factfile: What is WADA?
Wada is based in Lausanne, Switzerland, and was set up in 1999 with backing from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to promote and coordinate the fight against doping in sport. It remains the only independent and official anti-doping watchdog and consists of representatives from the Olympic movement and public authorities.
Players are not against anti-doping tests but oppose the 'whereabouts' clause.
The new code aims to establish an International Registered Testing Pool (IRTP) of players who are nominated for random testing based on their ICC rankings. Players from this pool have to inform the ICC at the beginning of every quarter of the year a location and time they will be available for an hour each day in that quarter for testing.
If a player changes his/her schedule in between, then they need to update their whereabouts information either online or through a text message. If the player is not at the location at the time specified, he/she will have a strike recorded against their name.
Three strikes and the player will have breached the code and can face a two-year suspension. Players feel the code infringes their privacy and personal space, especially during off-season and when they are not playing cricket. All international cricketers have agreed to abide by the Wada code except players from India.
- Staff report
Bowled over: Readers offer mixed reaction on cricket dope testing
Indian cricketers shout 'invasion of privacy' as World Anti Doping Agency's (WADA) code requires them to detail their whereabouts at all time for spot checks.
Gulf News readers debate the latest move by the International Cricket Committee (ICC) to adopt the new rule for out-of-competition dope testing.
Thirty-year-old cricket fan Anuj Sharma feels the Indian team is behaving in an "immature manner" and missing out on a great opportunity to streamline the way the game functions.
He said: "I absolutely agree with the ICC's decision. WADA does the same for all the countries that participate in the Olympics. So, if 174 countries can comply, why cannot the 12 countries that play cricket.
"They keep talking about making cricket an Olympic sport, but if they fail to agree on this international standard, how can they be accepted. I think the Indian side is lacking in maturity over this matter."
Sharma works as a human resource and administration manager in the construction sector. He's been in the UAE for nine months and is based in Dubai.
Financial consultant Arish Ehsan partially agreed with Sharma's view. He felt that it was unfair and impractical to ask players to provide information on where they would be at all times of the day. The 39-year-old cricket enthusiast said: "The objective is to ensure the sport stays clean. For that the players should be ready for testing as and when WADA needs them. But, you cannot expect the players to state the details of their itinerary over an extended period of time. "With the exposure the players have with their hectic schedule - more than any other sport - there are three formats to cricket, it is not possible for them give this information." Ehsan has been in the UAE for 11 years.
Arun G. Menon pushes it further. The 36-year-old general manager said: "I am aware of the controversy and completely stand by the Indian team's argument.
"I recently saw an interview with Yuvraj [Singh, Indian cricketer], who rightly observed that for 10 months in a year the players are on the field under close scrutiny ... free to do testing. For two months in a year they need the time for themselves. The new requirement is a violation of privacy and personal rights."
Menon felt that the regulation is unfair on all sports people be it tennis or the athletes, all of who have to comply with WADA's rule. "It doesn't matter if all the countries agree ... India has a right to its decision, especially as 50 per cent of cricket viewership comprises Indians," he added.
