BCCI rejects the anti-doping clause

The decision-making working committee of the BCCI met in an emergency session today to discuss the players' refusal to sign the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code because they said it infringed their privacy. India's top players are the only ones in world cricket who had not signed the WADA documents by the August 1 deadline set by the ICC. They were unhappy at a clause that required them to detail their whereabouts for an hour between 6:00 am and 11:00 pm every day for the next three months to allow random out-of-competition testing. According to WADA rules, anyone missing three doping tests over 18 months faces a ban of up to two years. The ICC said in a statement that India's stand will be discussed by the governing body's Executive Board to find a way forward. The ICC is grateful to the BCCI 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 statement said. 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. It said both the ICC and the BCCI were committed to a zero-tolerance approach to doping in cricket. 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. The ICC will make no further comment at this time, the statement added.