ICC re-affirms commitment to WADA Code on Doping

Dubai, Oct 30 (UNI) A day after World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) lambasted it for not being serious about dope tests, the ICC today reaffirmed its commitment to the WADA Code and reiterated its zero-tolerance towards drug-use.

Presenting a rebuttal to the WADA accusation, ICC Chief Executive Malcolm Speed said there were logistical difficulties in tackling the dope issue which arose for the first time after signing the WADA Code in July this year.

Pakistan pacers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif were recalled from the Champions Trophy squad after they tested positive for banned drug Nandrolone in the internal tests conducted by the PCB and cricket world was rocked with an unprecendented doping crisis.

WADA official Yousef Hasan yesterday told a television channel that the ICC had ''a casual attitude towards doping'' and that there was little co-operation from ICC in this regard.

''We've been on many doping control testing missions with lots of federations. We've been dealing with them professionally and they've been dealing back very professionally as well.

''But unfortunately I can't say the same thing about ICC,'' the WADA official told the channel.

''We've been having very bad time with the organisation. They have received a list of requirements from WADA about the facilities we need, but unfortunately what they provided us was not up to the standard,'' he had added.

But, Mr Speed took refuge on the fact that since the current ICC Champions Trophy was the first tournament after becoming signatories to the WADA Code, it had presented the world governing body with some challenging issues.

''These issues are logistical ones and are understandable given no infrastructure or culture of drug-testing exists currently in India, and when these issues have been raised with us we have worked hard to ensure they have been dealt with,'' Mr Speed said in a statement.

''I will meet with WADA officials today and also speak to WADA Director General David Howman to see if they have any additional concerns we may not be aware of. I would stress we do not believe any of the issues raised have affected the integrity of the testing process.

''We are proud that since we began testing in 2002 no player has tested positive for a banned substance at an ICC tournament and we are equally proud to have signed up to the WADA Code in July of this year.

''We are committed to ensuring cricket retains a zero tolerance attitude to drug-use and also committed to ensuring that those ICC Full Members not currently testing their players outside of ICC tournaments start that process as soon as possible,'' Mr Speed said.

The ICC signed the WADA Code in July this year following agreement at its annual conference at the Lord's earlier in the same month.

The ICC had undertaken drug-testing since 2002 in ICC U/19 Cricket World Cups in 2002 (New Zealand), 2004 (Bangladesh) and 2006 (Sri Lanka); ICC Champions Trophy tournaments in 2002 (Sri Lanka), 2004 (England) and 2006 (India); ICC Cricket World Cup in 2003 (South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya).

In all these events, there were no positive test.

During the current ICC Champions Trophy, WADA had undertaken testing at three matches -- New Zealand VS Sri Lanka in Mumbai, New Zealand VS Pakistan and India VS Australia in Mohali.

Four players -- two from each side -- are selected at random with WADA sending the samples to Malaysia for analysis.

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