For once the BCCI has taken the right stand in opposing the WADA drug testing mandate by the ICC. No one denies that we need to live in a drug free world. That sports has to be competed on a level footing and not on aided performance enhancement drugs.
However it is too much to put someone on a constant, oh no ! permanent surveillance 24/7, 365 days a year. You are right Srinivasan, its an infringement on the civil liberties of an individual and an unconstitutional act. The “whereabouts” clause, invades the privacy of an individual.
Our sportsman may be professional sportsman but they are not the slaves of the administration. Its time the sports administrators treated sportsman as a human being and not a robot, spinning the fortune wheel.
No one is against drug testing and cheating in international sport. Random dope tests are welcome and needs to be enforced strictly. Random tests even during non playing days is also acceptable but to expect a sports person to be on permanent surveillance is not acceptable. More over in a vast country like ours and with such a huge fan following and commercial interests, how can a sportsman predict where he will be each day for the next 90 days. Its impracticable. The penalty to be levied in the event of missing out a drug test is too huge and disproportionate to the acts of ommission.
May be there are 500+ sports federation the world over who have signed this agreement, may be all other cricketing nations have agreed to this unreasonable demand, but BCCI has done the right thing to oppose this draconian and unreasonable rule. We dont need to fear anyone. Let not BCCI cow down in front of ICC. BCCI has done the right thing in backing its players and protecting the interests of its players.
For once let India challenge and lead the rest of the world.