All Indian cricketers will now have to undergo dope testing by National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), as per a report by PTI. For the longest time, Indian cricketers have been exempted from dope tests conducted by NADA as the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) had placed objections. The Indian cricket board had argued that since NADA is not a government-affiliated federation but an autonomous body, it won't accept it as the agency for conducting such tests.
However, the Ministry of Sports has made it clear to the BCCI that it could no longer continue its abstention on these grounds and has also sought to clarify their doubts. Radheshyam Jhulaniya, Sports Secretary, Government of India, had a meeting with BCCI CEO Rahul Johri where the two sorted out the matters.
"All cricketers will now be tested by NADA. The BCCI raised three issues before us about the quality of the dope testing kits, competence of pathologists and sample collection. We assured them that whatever facilities they want, we will provide but there will be some charge for it. BCCI is no different from others," PTI reported Jhulaniya as saying.
