WADA's Stipulation Quite Unnecessary
Can you imagine someone asking you for your whereabouts for the next 3 months and also for an hour on each of those 90 days during which you would be available?
More importantly, would you be able to give them an itinerary if you were asked?
I definitely would not be able to.
I have no idea where I will be during the next 90 days. Nor do I know during which hour of the day I would be free for some officials.
How could you in advance?
Sure everyone has a slight idea where they are going to be but the last minute meetings, rushed official tours, emergencies, and hastily planned vacations always come around.
There have been times when I have had to rush to the airport and board a plane and fly out for a meeting arranged at the last minute.
Those are so rushed that at times I didn't even find the time to inform my family and friends that I was flying out.
Then how can we expect cricketers to do the same?
We are after all mere mortals compared to the high profile cricketers whose lives are way more hectic than ours.
How can any cricketer provide a schedule of his whereabouts for the next 90 days?
Moreso how can he even make sure that he informs some official if he is swaying away from the schedule he has provided?
All this to me just seems like unnecessary hassle and stress.
I'm glad the Indian cricketers, and now the BCCI, are opposing this new WADA regulation.
Cricketers from other nations should have also opposed it; I don't know why they agreed to it and provided the ICC with the 3-month schedules.
Actually I don't even know how they managed to do it.
The solution that the BCCI is reportedly going to suggest is one that I fully endorse.
That is the way to go.
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wat wud wada do on proven drugaddicts like asif n akhtar....
Indian board money has. Control world cricket. bad, bad, bad. Australia lost lords match because india has money. indian money killing kangaroos in australia
- malcolm greg baum conn
As I understand it, the WADA 90-day schedule does not have to be set in stone, but athletes have to ensure that it is updated if there are any changes.
Clearly there could be a problem with an event such as the World Cup, which is dependent on the length of a teams participation.
The main concerns tend to be for those who are not administratively minded failing to keep their info updated.
Q,
correct me but isnt this 90-day schedule binding for all athletes no matter what the sport is?? so if the players or player bodies the world over have accepted it, why cant the BCCI and its players?!?!
Sam,
I think Akhtar and Asif have been taken care off.. I mean Akhtar tested positive once, he was let off.. the next few times he tested negative.. so thats ok.. but his career is over anyway..
As for Asif.. his ban will be over in September.. if he tests positive again he should be banned simple.
Why do u need a 90 day schedule to test someone?
If WADA wants to test a player they can just call up the board, ask them where the player is, turn up there and test him.
They can keep a track of the players / proven druggies without asking for 90-day schedules.. it just takes one phone call / email / sms.
Raj,
Good on BCCI as long as they use it for good like this.
GCW,
Exactly.. for the administratively disinclined it will be a problem.. but also for those who may be facing some emergency.. who knows where they'e going to be in the next few days, forget abt the next 90 days..
LIB,
You are right it is for all atheletes that come under WADA. Even Federer and Nadal have argued against this new stipulation.
Even FIFA have talked abt their reservations.
The difference here is while other bodies have expressed their concern over this, BCCI has actually gone ahead and opposed it. Something I feel everyone else should have done too.
It makes no sense to demand these 90-day schedules.
As I said in my response to Sam above, if WADA wants to test someone 1 phone call can get them the whereabouts of a certain player where they can turn up and test. Whats the point of having a schedule that may or may not be accurate?
If other athletes can adhere to the code why can't Indian cricketers do the same?
RGB,
Why? Why should the Indian players adhere to the WADA stipulations?
Every single sporting body expressed their reservations about this new stipulation regarding 90-day schedules.. from FIFA to ATP to individuals like Federer and Nadal all had their concerns..
Only the Indian players and the BCCI had the balls to stand up against WADA...
Its an unnecessary stipulation and an unneeded hassle and stress...
I don't understand why WADA even wants these schedules..
If they want to test a certain player, they can pick up the phone, call the cricket board, ask them where the players is, go there and test him.
All this can happen within 24 hours in these times of communication and travel. Why the hell do u need to know in advance where the cricketer will be?
@Q: totally agree that the 90-day schedule requirement is stupid.
However, all major sports bodies abide by this. I'm pretty sure there's a lot of flexibility. Do you seriously think every Brazilian footballer follows this to the T?
There are three ways to approach this.
1) Accept WADA, and comply with the foolish whereabouts requirement.
2) Accept WADA, and do a half-decent job on the whereabouts requirement. This is probably what most players do, and probably the easiest solution. Just get some administrative official to fill it out for the entire team. I'm pretty sure if you are not exactly where you say you are, WADA doesn't care that much, unless they have other reasons to suspect you.
3) Challenge WADA. Tougher path, but you might get a lot of support, and you could actually make a change. I know UEFA and FIFA have had reservations about the whereabouts clause, and I can imagine tennis players have the same problems.
Interesting situation though. I'm totally not a fan of the Big Brotherish whereabouts clause. But also am intrigued that tennis, football, IOC, etc. are all pretty compliant.
re: why they can't just call up the sports board to find out where the player is? Well, it's because this whereabouts clause is used for scheduling. So if they know that some Indian players will be in London at a certain point, and there is a scheduled test in London, then they can maximize the number of people being tested.
Some further info from Cricinfo:
The new code mandates the establishment of an International Registered Testing Pool (IRTP) of players who are nominated for random testing based on their ICC rankings. Players from this pool have to inform the ICC at the beginning of every quarter (three-month period) of the year, a location and time that they will be available for an hour each day in that quarter for testing. If a player changes his/her schedule in between, then he/she needs to update the whereabouts information to the nodal officer either online or even through SMS. However, if the player is not in the location at the time specified, he/she will have a strike recorded against his name. Three such strikes and the player will have breached the code and can face up to a two-year suspension from the game.
http://www.cricinfo.com/ci-icc/content/current/story/417304.html
"Why? Why should the Indian players adhere to the WADA stipulations?"
Cricket needs to be WADA compliant so that in future no cricketing board can sweep drug abuse under the carpet, cricket can be an Olympic sport and other boards like ECB can receive funding from their governments.
And since Indian players are a part of the cricketing setup , they need to adhere to the code as well.
"Every single sporting body expressed their reservations about this new stipulation regarding 90-day schedules.. from FIFA to ATP to individuals like Federer and Nadal all had their concerns.."
Yes but still they are on board.
"Only the Indian players and the BCCI had the balls to stand up against WADA..."
More like unnecessary bravado. If WADA has not changed the code for FIFA , they are not going to change it for the Indian players.
"Its an unnecessary stipulation and an unneeded hassle and stress...
It is cumbersome. But if it is needed to keep the sport clean, so be it. Unless the courts rule that the code violates human rights, the code should be adhered to.
"I don't understand why WADA even wants these schedules.."
Is there any other solution? Drugs can be easily masked in 24 hours.
Sledge,
I think your right about most sports persons not following these schedules to the T.. regardless though, I feel the stipulation is quite unnecessary.. still don't know what's coming out of the situation..
RGB,
"Is there any other solution? Drugs can be easily masked in 24 hours."
I believe masking agents are also tested for by the WADA drugs tests.. there's no way atheletes can get away with masking agents.. if that was the case all the cricketers would be doing drugs and taking masking agents before their matches in ICC tournaments..
If you remember, Shane Warne was tested positive for a diuretic, which besides being a slimming pill was also considered as a masking agent for steroids..
So in response the better solution to me is for WADA to have all the contact details of the boards, players, etc.. contact the person they want to test and get there..
Yes, tests do look for masking agents as well.
But WADA considers suprise off season testing is the cornerstone of an effective anti-doping policy.
And some sophisticated drugs do not show up after a day.
RGB,
That is fair.. that some drugs don't show after a few days but their effects remain for a longer duration.. so to catch those offenders u need off-season testing.. understood.. but then again WADA should have its reps in all major countries.. considering that there are 9 test playing ones, having reps there is not difficult.. u don't need schedules in advance to surprise test someone..