BCCI to come under the ambit of NADA

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to come under the ambit of the NADA. Indian Sports Secretary Radheshyam Jhulaniya confirmed that the Indian cricketers would now be tested by the National Anti-Doping Agency.

Speaking to PTI, Jhulaniya claimed that he had a meeting with BCCI CEO Rahul Johri. During the meeting, the Indian cricket board had given in writing that they would work with NADA.

Jhulaniya said:

“All cricketers will now be tested by NADA. The BCCI raised three issues before us about the quality of the dope testing kits, competence of pathologists and sample collection. We assured them that whatever facilities they want, we will provide but there will be some charge for it. BCCI is no different from others.”

For a long period of time, the BCCI was strictly against working with NADA. The BCCI gave a reason that it was a private and independent body and did not depend on government funding.

A BCCI official had earlier stated as quoted by Cricbuzz:

“We maintained that we have no faith in NADA’s Dope Control Officers (DCOs). There has been too many examples of inefficient handling of samples by NADA DCOs. Here, we are talking about some of the biggest names in Indian sport like Virat Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni. We can’t blindly trust them.”

They, however, relaxed their stance in March 2019 working with the anti-doping agency for a trial period of six months. It now seems that the two bodies finally have agreed upon a middle ground and will work together in the future.

Drug testing has recently become a hot topic in Indian cricket. Prodigious talent Prithvi Shaw was handed a backdated eight-month suspension for failing a dope test.