BCCI may miss ICC deadline on WADA

India's top cricketers are reluctant to sign a controversial anti-doping clause which, they claim, infringes on their privacy, leaving the Cricket Board in a fix.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has asked all its affiliated members to get their players to sign the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) form by August 1 which leaves a rattled BCCI with little time to negotiate with the reluctant players.

The cricketers are unhappy with the clause which makes it necessary for them to give details about their availability for one hour every day for random out-of-competition testing by WADA officials.

The players have been asked to fill their "whereabout update form" by August 1 but have they have not done so with most of them expressing reservations.

The cricketers feel such a clause not only infringes on their privacy but also makes it difficult for them since they are not aware of their programmes two months in advance during the off-season. According to the WADA rule, any sportspersons missing three doping tests in 18 months faces a two-year sanction.

"The players have certain reservations about this clause. They have already expressed their concerns to the BCCI. We are seeing what can be done," a top BCCI official said.

The BCCI has convened an emergency meeting of its all-powerful Working Committee in Mumbai on Sunday to work out a solution to this vexed issue. 

"The BCCI, on its part, has also conveyed the reservations of the players on the whereabout clause to the ICC. The ICC has been told about the specific reservations the players have on certain clauses of the WADA rule and it may be difficult for the BCCI to stick to the August 1 deadline," the official said.

The ICC is signatory to the WADA which requires all its members to comply to the anti-doping guidelines. 

In the form, the cricketers are expected to give details about their residence, training and regular activity locations in advance.