Keeping an eye on WADA-NADA fiasco & road ahead: BCCI CoA

By Baidurjo Bhose

New Delhi, Aug 23 (IANS) The Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) running the show at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not only taken note of the turn of events with regards to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) suspending The National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) in the Capital for a period of six months, but the committee is now looking at the options they have after the current turn of events.

The NADA is still allowed to collect samples from sportspersons, but the tests can't be done at NDTL and needs to be done at a WADA-accredited laboratory. NDTL was the only WADA-accredited lab in the country.

An area that the BCCI will have to look at is that the suspension took effect on August 20 and will end on February 20 -- unless it is challenged -- and as per the domestic calendar, most of the BCCI domestic tournaments will be done with by then.

Speaking to IANS, a CoA member said that the committee will discuss the matter with immediate effect and look at the road ahead and how exactly this hampers the testing process as far as the BCCI and Indian cricketers are concerned.

"We are yet to sit and discuss the matter, but we have an eye on it and will have to look at the whole episode and how exactly this affects us. If not NDTL, then what? That is something that will have to be decided upon as we are now under the ambit of NADA. Hopefully we have the answers soon," the member said.

The development comes as a big blow and WADA has made it clear that the lab is to be blamed for the suspension.

"This suspension has been imposed due to non-conformities with the International Standard for Laboratories (ISL) as identified during a WADA site visit," the world agency said in a press release.

"The suspension, which took effect on 20 August 2019, prohibits the NDTL from carrying out any anti-doping activities, including all analyses of urine and blood samples.

"During the period of suspension, samples that have not yet been analyzed by the NDTL; samples currently undergoing a confirmation procedure; and any samples for which an Adverse Analytical Finding has been reported, must be securely transported to another WADA-accredited laboratory," WADA said in its release on Thursday.

WADA also clarified that the NDTL can appeal the decision in the Court of Arbitration for Sports "within 21 days of receipt of notice".

The agency has advised the NDTL to address all nonconformities during the period of suspension and if the WADA's Laboratory Expert Group (LabEG), which initiated the disciplinary proceedings, is satisfied by the work done, "it may apply for reinstatement prior to the expiry of the six-month suspension period."

Interestingly, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) chief Narinder Batra has blamed NADA for the mess. While the BCCI has always been apprehensive in the past, CEO Rahul Johri and GM Cricket Operations Saba Karim recently went ahead and agreed to have the BCCI come under the ambit of NADA.

The move was strongly criticised by the BCCI office-bearers, but Johri had called it the 'law of the land' while justifying the decision to join hands with NADA.