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BCCI isolating itself on anti-doping issue, warns Amitabh Choudhary

by K Shriniwas Rao • Published on

"The onus is clearly on BCCI to act because if we don't, we risk the credibility of the game in a large way" © Getty

BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary has warned that India stands the risk of isolating itself from the global sports fraternity if it does not pay heed to the demands that the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) has made of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and in return, the ICC's stress on India to comply.

Wada had given the game's global governing body sufficient time to comply with its norms - one that also includes all member boards complying with their respective national anti-doping agencies - and the ICC was left with no choice but to extend that ultimatum to India as the latter happens to be the only board that doesn't comply with Nada norms.

"When I come back, I'm going to be writing to all concerned - Committee of Administrators (CoA) and the general body - and inform them of what's at stake here. The onus is clearly on India (BCCI) to act because if we don't we risk the credibility of the game in a large way," Choudhary told TOI from Singapore.

The Board secretary was in Singapore as India's representative at the ICC chief executive meeting in the absence of CEO Rahul Johri. "India and Afghanistan are the only two countries that aren't Nada compliant but as we know, Afghanistan is a different case altogether because of where they're coming from (lack of infrastructure in a war-torn region)," he added.

"But in BCCI's case, if we don't take a step forward in this direction, we risk a global backlash to the ecosystem. Every international sport has moved together in one direction to comply with antidoping norms. Now, why cricket is not able to move in direction, that's the question."

Choudhary will return to India on Saturday, when the CoA is scheduled to meet in New Delhi. The CoA, for their part, have taken the call that they will not get involved in this particular issue and leave it upon members to take the call.

© TNN

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