Rattled by the dope scandal that has hit the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has put the onus of taking action against the guilty player on the BCCI.
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"The ICC is aware of an adverse analytical finding (AAF) from the recently-concluded Indian Premier League (IPL)," cricket's world governing body said in a statement.
The ICC said it had been informed of the positive dope test, speculated to be of a sub-continental fast bowler, by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accredited laboratory where the randomly-collected samples were tested.
"When an AAF arises, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accredited laboratory that has tested the sample sends a report to the commissioning body (IPL) and copies in WADA and the International Federation, in this case the ICC.
"As with any AAF that arises during a testing programme organised by one of the ICC's Members, it is the responsibility of that Member, in this case the BCCI, to deal with the process in a timely and fair manner," the ICC statement read.
The ICC said it would keep a close eye on the way BCCI handles the matter to ensure that the guilty player is brought to book.
"The ICC is proud of its status as a WADA signatory and will be closely monitoring the situation to ensure the correct action is taken by the BCCI. The ICC retains a right of appeal if any penalty that may be imposed is inconsistent with the WADA Code."
Speculation is rife that the erring player might be Pakistani speedster Mohammad Asif, who was last month embroiled in a drug possession case in Dubai leading to a 19-day detention for him.
