International players may be forced to resort to drugs

LONDON, June 20 (Reuters) International cricketers may be forced to resort to performance-enhancing drugs because of the number of matches they are now obliged to play, according to the Federation of International Cricketers Associations (FICA).

In the July issue of the Wisden Cricketer magazine, FICA chief executive Tim May said the International Cricket Council's future tours programme was a disaster because it put no upper limit on the amount of cricket that could be scheduled.

''There are five or six guys in the five leading sides in the world who play tests and one-day internationals and they are being flogged,'' the former Australia off spinner said.

''You only have to look at the doping record in baseball to see that recovery, not enhanced power, is the motivation for most drug misuse. The more we push players the more they might look at options.'' REUTERS PDS BST0437