ICC Forms Panel to Solve WADA Row

Dubai: The International Cricket Council on Thursday formed a five-member panel which includes former Test captain Anil Kumble, BCCI secretary N Srinivasan and ICC Principal Advisor IS Bindra to look into the Indian Cricket Board's concerns about the 'whereabout' clause of the WADA code.

Tim Kerr, the chairman of the ICC's Anti-Doping Panel, will head the International Registered Testing Pool (IRTP) working group which also includes ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat.

Lorgat formed the panel to resolve BCCI concerns about the implementation of the 'whereabouts' requirements of those elite international players selected in the IRTP, so that such players are able to comply in full, the ICC said in a statement.

Even though nothing was finalised about the panel's first meeting, the group would report back to the ICC Board at the earliest possible opportunity, it said.

Incidentally, Kumble is the cricketer representative on WADA's Athlete Committee as well.

"I am pleased we have constituted this group as I believe it will help to resolve the practical concerns of Indian players," Lorgat said.

"All of us - the ICC and its members including India - are committed to a zero-tolerance approach in the area of anti-doping but what we have to do is to satisfy the India players on the practical implementation of the new WADA rules on 'whereabouts', Lorgat said.

"We will all work together and engage with WADA to resolve the concerns so that the India players can fully comply with their obligations under the ICC Anti-Doping Code," Lorgat said.

BCCI President Shashank Manohar hailed the move and said, "The BCCI is a willing partner in this process because the objectives of ICC and BCCI are identical regarding cricket as a clean and drug-free sport, and we will resolve the issues amicably."

Kumble was happy to be part of the panel and the former India captain said he hoped to find a solution to the issue.

"It's good to be part of the working group and to try and understand what the issues are and resolve them and move forward," Kumble said.

The constitution of the IRTP working group follows the BCCI's decision on Sunday that it would not force its players to file 'whereabouts' information necessary under the terms of the ICC Anti-Doping Code.

Manohar explained that decision on the basis that the BCCI's working committee considered the requirement to be an invasion of the players' privacy, a risk to their security and a breach of their constitutional rights to privacy under Indian law.

The 11 cricketers named in the testing pool have objected to the clause that requires them to share their whereabouts three months in advance, which they find both intrusive and a security risk.