BCCI agrees to work with NADA for 6 months

By Baidurjo Bhose

New Delhi, March 18 (IANS) The Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) met ICC chairman Shashank Manohar in Mumbai on Monday and decided that the Indian board will work with the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) for the next six months on a trial basis.

Speaking to IANS, sources in the know of developments said that the board was willing to work with NADA for a period of six months, but the agency would be allowed to collect only 10 per cent samples for testing.

"The Indian board has agreed to try and work with NADA for the next six months and then decide on the road ahead.

"Trust has been an issue and that needs to be gained with quality work from the agency. The agency will collect only 10 per cent samples for testing.

"The board feels that with the 2022 Commonwealth Games in sight, India would like to field the women's team in the event at Birmingham and this is a move aimed at that direction," the source said.

While the International Cricket Council (ICC) has decided to remain compliant to the WADA directives, the BCCI had reservation on dealing with NADA.

ICC CEO David Richardson in February spoke on the need to get the differences between the BCCI and NADA sorted.

"We are trying to help the BCCI sort out the issue with WADA and NADA. We think cricket should be in the 2028 Olympics, but it's not going to happen unless we are a unified sport.

"At this stage, we need to convince the BCCI that it is a good thing for cricket to be in the Olympics from all aspects," he had said.

However, the BCCI officials present at the last ICC chief executive meeting had made it clear that WADA must name a different testing agency as they did not trust NADA, thanks to mistakes the agency had made.

(Baidurjo Bhose can be contacted at baidurjo.b@ians.in)