WADA official to allay concerns of BCCI

Mumbai, Nov 17 (IANS) World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) director general David Howman will be here this week to allay the apprehensions of the Indian cricket board over the 'whereabouts clause' that it has rejected.

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Howman said the International Cricket Council has done a commendable job since becoming a signatory to new WADA code, but added that the reluctance of the Board of Control for Cricket in India is (BCCI) to follow the code has been the only hiccup in the process.

'In the last 18 months, they've (ICC) got rules, they've done testing, they're doing out-of-competition testing so in that brief period of time they have done a heck of a lot. The only hiccup they have had is the Indian cricket board (BCCI) has said they are not comfortable with this 'whereabouts' requirement,' Howman said.

He said the Indian government is a signatory of the WADA code.

'Well, India signed onto the code as one of the first countries. The Indian government is compliant so if there is part of India that is not compliant that is embarrassing for the government, particularly with things like the Commonwealth Games coming up.'

He said the BCCI has given a number of reasons for its stand on whereabouts clause.

'I am going to talk with them. Some of their concerns include an allegation that it is unconstitutional in India,' Howman was quoted as saying in www.sportal.co.nz.

Bowman said that 13,000 international athletes are having no objection in revealing the information of their whereabouts.

'It is a pretty good indicator that the system is working.'

'The whole system is good, the individuals receiving the information are secure and when the player puts this information in, the access to the information is restricted to those who need it, which would be us and the ICC. Nobody in India,' he said.

Indian cricketers have refused to follow the WADA code. The players have raised objection to the 'whereabouts clause' which says that sportspersons must inform where they will be for one hour each day to be ready for 'out-of-competition testing'.