MUMBAI: The Indian cricket board had stood all alone when it backed its players’ defiance of the ICC-mandated WADA contract. But with each passing day, the isolation turned into solitary splendor that appeared to make more sense than at first thought of.
Today, the Indian cricketers’ resistance to one particular clause in the World Anti-Doping Agency’s hand-over to the International Cricket Council for implementation among cricketers is gaining enormous support from players from other countries. As things stand at the moment, the cricket boards of eight countries are now opposing the “whereabout” clause of the contract offered to them.
The Indian players had objected to the stringent proviso in the “whereabout” clause which requires them to furnish the details of where they would be at any time in the next 90 days. WADA has also stipulated that any change in the program given earlier has to be communicated to the ICC within 48 hours. All that to enable the WADA officials to make surprise dope checks.
The rational behind the Indian cricketers’ objection to this clause is that it encroaches on their privacy and is also likely to breach their tight security cover, which entails strict secrecy. They were otherwise prepared to make themselves available when on tours or playing in matches in India.
When this opinion was first expressed, several cricketers of other countries had scoffed at the strange reaction. But gradually they all realized what all that fuss was about. They fell in line with the Indian stand in the realization that it would be extremely difficult for them to say 90 days in advance where they would be at a particular time during that period.
First of all, their participation in matches at home and abroad is subject to the whims and fancies of the selectors. No player can ever be so certain. Even the country’s pre-drawn programmers are subject to frequent changes. Then there are questions of injuries and their treatment.
For instance, take the case of Pakistan. At present and, perhaps for the near future, there are not going to be matches at home. Pakistan’s series against Australia is likely to be played in England. The Pakistan Cricket Board is yet to finalize the dates and is still looking for an off-shore venue for their series against New Zealand. Thus the Pakistani players are going to be in quite a whirl. The uncertainty cannot be spelled out so easily.
Players from other countries may have different problems. So what the Indian cricketers had expressed earlier has finally sunk in and now even the ICC is thinking of evolving its own dope-testing manifesto and not rely entirely on what has been suggested by WADA. The ICC knows that it is not going to be easy formulating their own standards and requirements. But the important thing is that the code it draws up is acceptable to all.
There is no denying the fact that cricket is as much desirous of a drug-free competition as do other sports.
