ICC gets tough, 24 players to be dope tested in Champions Trohpy

Jaipur, Oct 16 (UNI) Taking a firm stand against the drug menace, the ICC today announced random dope testing of four players each in six matches of the ongoing Champions trophy.

Expressing his disappointment over positive dope tests of Pakistan pacers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, ICC chief executive Malcom Speed said, ''It will be a sad day for cricket if the B samples of the two Pakistani players are also found positive.

Cricket is regarded as a low risk sport by WADA, but that does not mean that we go soft against the drug menace or we don't take it seriously.'' Speed complimented the Pakistan cricket Board (PCB) for conducting the dope tests of its 19 players on its own. ''They could have not done that. There was no pressure on them,'' he said.

He said since it was PCB's own decision to conduct the tests now the results will also be dealt with by its dope tribunal and hearing will be held under the WADA code because the PCB adopted it.

He refused to speculate on the seriousness of punishment to the players and said, ''It is a PCB matter they will deal with it, ICC can not come in it but if WADA is unhappy with the results of the hearing then it can come over the top.'' Asked about Shoiab's future in case a two year ban is imposed on him, Speed said, ''It is again a speculation, but it is his street to walk in and be remembered in a the way he wants to.'' ''Shoaib is a very colorful and entertaining cricketer. It is upto history how he would be remembered,'' he added.

Addressing a crowded media conference here this evening Mr Speed said, ''Let me make it clear that this is not the first time that dope testing has been done in the ICC tournaments. Dope tests were first carried out during the ICC under-19 World Cup in New Zealand and followed in later editions in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. It also carried out random dope tests in Champions Trophy 2000, 2002 and 2004 as well as the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.'' He said WADA will conduct a random test on four players, two from each team in six of the Champions Trophy matches. The samples of these players will be sent to the IOC accredited agency in Kuala Lumpur.

He said ICC has signed an agreement with World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) and has a zero tolerance policy against drug and doping.

Speed also revealed that only five of its member countries carry out dope tests regularly on the cricketers in which India is not included.

The five countries are South Africa, Australia, England, New Zealand and Pakistan.

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