New Delhi: Ending years of defiance, the BCCI on Friday finally agreed to come under the ambit of National Anti-Doping Agency. This essentially means that all BCCI cricketers will be tested for doping at NADA.
The BCCI had, for long, opposed signing up with NADA, claiming that it is an autonomous body, not a National Sports Federation, and does not rely on government funding.
The development comes just days after BCCI suspended India and Mumbai opener Prithvi Shaw for a doping violation. Shaw was retrospectively banned for eight months after testing positive for terbutaline back in April.
Nonetheless, he played the IPL and trained in the National Cricket Academy, even after the report of his failed dope test had been placed before the Board.
According to these sources, the decision to come under NADA may have been taken just to avoid an inquiry into the Shaw incident. News reports suggest that the selectors had not even been informed about his suspension.
A senior BCCI official said that it was indeed sad how things have panned out under the CoA and the move to come under NADA was the final nail in the coffin.
"This is nothing but an admission of failure of administration on the part of the BCCI CEO and the CoA. The CEO gets paid an amount upward of Rupees 5 crores an annum and has apparently been paid a bonus of about 5 crores or so, too, but the administration under him has completely botched up the BCCI Anti-Doping program and spectacularly failed in the Pri-thvi Shaw matter.
By AAKASH KUMAR
