CHENNAI, India, (Reuters) – India’s top cricketers are reluctant to sign up to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) controversial ‘whereabouts’ rule with just one day remaining before the Aug. 1 deadline, domestic media reported yesterday.
The International Cricket Council became a WADA signatory in 2006 and the ICC board last year unanimously approved out-of-competition tests on cricketers in accordance with amendments made by WADA to the code.
The Times of India reported that India’s leading cricketers were unhappy with the whereabouts clause, which stipulates players must tell doping authorities where they will be for one hour every day over a set period of time.
WADA regulations say that three misses in 18 months could result in a two-year ban from international cricket, the paper reported.
“We want a drug free sport world and now that ICC is a part of International Olympic Committee, we have to abide by the WADA rules, an ICC official told Times of India.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has called for a working committee meeting on Sunday where the subject is expected to be discussed.
The Hindustan Times quoted an unnamed WADA spokesman saying there would be no compromise on anti-doping codes.
