BCCI rejects WADA's anti-doping clause

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Sunday rejected the controversial anti-doping clause of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) that makes it mandatory for players to make themselves available for out of competition tests.

BCCI strongly backed the players, saying that the "whereabouts" clause is an "invasion into the privacy of an individual".

"Cricket should be free from doping. BCCI does not have any objection to that. However BCCI felt that players should be tested during the series or during the camps. They cannot be tested when they are not playing cricket," BCCI president Shashank Manohar said Sunday.

The decision to back the players was taken at an emergency meeting of the Working Committee. Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and senior players Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh were present in the meeting.

The decision of the BCCI puts it on a collision course with the International Cricket Council (ICC) which is a signatory to WADA's anti-doping norms.

WADA's anti-doping clause requires players to inform the ICC about their exact whereabouts in advance.

The code requires players in the testing pool to inform the world cricket governing body through an online form about their whereabouts.

In India, the signing of the code has been delayed as players have objected to the clause.

"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," Manohar said.

"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.

Last updated on Aug 2^nd, 2009 at 13:24 pm IST--IANS