WADA vehement on 'whereabouts clause' issue

A long-standing point of contention between the Indian cricketers and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) might turn in the favour of the World body next year, as it has been reported by a source close to the BCCI that the ‘out-of-competition targeted doping tests’ as well as ‘blood tests’ may be made compulsory.

The status quo is that the Board of Control for cricket in India (BCCI) subjects its players to ‘in-competition random testing’ where only urine samples of the players are collected. Meaning, that a cricketer, say MS Dhoni only has to make himself available for these tests when India are playing a series – be it at home or away.

If WADA has its way, however, there might be chances that sample collectors go door to door to collect blood samples as well as urine samples from the cricketers. Another contentious issue, the ‘whereabouts clause’ has also to be complied with, something that the players have been vehemently opposing for many years.

Opposition to blood-testing and ‘whereabouts’

The players have reservations against blood-testing due to the fear of ‘extravasation.’ It is the injury caused when blood from a vein pours into surrounding tissue spaces thereby causing a lump of blood at the point of impact of the injection/syringe, something that players find highly uncomfortable while batting, bowling or fielding.

The ‘whereabouts clause’ means that players have to inform the officials well in advance about their journeys, meetings and plans even during the off-season at all times, something that players feel, infringes on their personal spaces, apart from posing security risks as well, because the information about a player’s whereabouts is always available.

A common example of this is the Z-category security that has been provided by the government to the Indian limited-overs captain, MS Dhoni, which results in the road leading to his home in Ranchi always being guarded by the police.

Players have also received threats from malicious people and dangerous organizations in the past, which is one more solid reason why they are wary of this clause. The confidentiality of the players’ locations hasn’t been maintained, clearly.

WADA’s response

However, WADA is in no mood to accept these arguments by the players as it has its own argument to rebut these claims. The agency is of the opinion that when the top sportspersons of the world including Tennis stars like Roger Federer and Football aces like Cristiano Ronaldo have no problems signing the clause, then why are Indian cricketers opposed to it?

The source added that only 50% of the drugs that are included in the ‘prohibited list’ of substances by the WADA, can be traced using urine samples, hence necessitating the need of a blood test.

“A blood test is mandatory. Look, in all these years, we have had just one offender (Pradeep Sangwan). Either we are doing a very good job and our players are clean, or we are being fooled. We can’t leave any scope for doubts in this,” the source said.

However, in the BCCI’s rulebook, the Article 1.2.1 of the Anti-Doping Policy states, “(the player has) to be bound by and to comply strictly with the rules (without prejudice to any other anti-doping rules applicable to him/her), including making him/herself available upon request for testing at the instance of the BCCI at all times, whether in-competition or out-of-competition.”

This, said the source, hasn’t been completely followed by the board yet, but the WADA is now vehement in its approach and has asked the ICC to comply with WADA’s code completely.

“The Code clearly states that sports bodies are required to undertake three steps in order to be fully compliant: acceptance, implementation, and enforcement. The BCCI, as well as the ICC are WADA-compliant, but the BCCI has not signed the whereabouts clause,” the source said.

It’s openly alleged these days that the ICC is secretly run by the BCCI, with it being the most powerful of all boards affiliated by the world body, and the BCCI top brass has to take a decision on the issue at the earliest.