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Days after the BCCI stood behind its players and rejected WADAs whereabouts clause,more national cricket boards are said to have a rethink....

Days after the BCCI stood behind its players and rejected WADAs whereabouts clause,more national cricket boards are said to have a rethink about the controversial anti-doping guidelines. And with the International Cricket Councils executive board scheduled to meet in eight days time to discuss Indias opposition to the WADA stipulation,it is likely that the Indian cricket board might not get isolated over the issue.

A senior BCCI member,who wished not to be named,said officials from other boards had already expressed solidarity. This isnt about the BCCI being a financial power but more about the logic in our argument. The other boards were sceptical about the WADA guidelines but since their players had signed it,they didnt object. But since the BCCI has raised its voice,others are expected to second our opinion, he said. He went on to add that all that the BCCI had done was to open a debate. If we too had toed the line,this issue would have never come up at the executive board.

There is also a growing feeling in the board that the present WADA crisis has forced the Federation of International Cricketers Association to rethink its stand. FICA had advised all players to sign the WADA agreement that has the whereabouts clause. And now that the Indians are objecting to it,the associations member players are also having a problem, said another board official.

Significant concerns

That was evident from the statement made by Heath Mills,CEO of the New Zealand Cricket Players Association,a FICA affiliate. We have significant concerns with the administration involved with the Registered Testing Pool requirements. It is cumbersome and very difficult for those in team sports to manage. Our players signed up since the ICC had adopted the WADA code a few years ago, he went on to add.

The New Zealand players were the first to give details about their quarterly whereabouts. Earlier this year,when other players on the International Registered Testing Pool were still mulling over the signing the WADA agreement,the 11 Kiwi players on the list had already given details of their whereabouts for three months.