Saw this piece of news on Cricinfo who deliver this news without any commotion that usually goes with news of such nature. Maybe because it's Sunday. Maybe the loudmouths (ex-cricketers/media) will open shop tomorrow to tell us what they think about this and the issue will snowball.
There's no mention if it was PED or recreational drugs.
I'm surprised on two counts - 1. that they actually performed tests during the IPL and are revealing that they did. 2. the number of positive tests is not more than one; afterall we had Warne, Shoaib and Asif participating !!
I strongly believe that once big money enters the game, the players arent far away from pushing their own limits. If that means trying PEDs, they will. There's no off-season in cricket. How are you supposed to stay fit playing 30-odd ODIs and 10 or more test matches a year in 3-4 different countries? Now you have to accomodate the IPL which is not an issue given the massive amount of money. You have to play at a high level. You simply cannot be out of form for half a season. If you didn't do too well in the IPL this year your stock will plummet. You will be erased from public memory. In this high pressure situation, I'm surprised not too many players are turning to PEDs like the MLB players have done. One would have to be naive to think cricket is a gentleman's game.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
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The player's identity is revealed and surprise, surprise - it's Asif !!
Cricket really needs to adopt a one-strike-and-you-are-out policy against PED/drug users. They cannot soft-pedal like American pro-sports have done for a quarter century or more.
This is the third time he's been busted for either possessing or using drugs. He should be banned for life. IDEALLY.
But, knowing how the sub-continent's cricket administration works, it's not going to happen. This guy had already been banned once and inexplicably, PCB lifted the ban. In a separate case, IPL/BCCI comically made an exception to let Akhtar, who had been banned, play in the IPL. So the IPL has essentially said that the league is OK with players using PEDs. Then why test the players? And make the result public etc.? Why not just run the league like WWE? I have a sinking feeling that Asif will play for Pakistan for a few more years.
But is not IPL a separate entity? I know that BCCI runs it but do they have to play by ICC rules (probably thats what Shahrukh asked as well!) but what I am trying to get at is, because this seems to be an autonomous body, they can decide who can play and who cannot. So now that Asif is caught, they can decide he would be (or not) standing on the altar waiting for teams to bid on him - can they not?
In the Bhajji-slaps-Sreesanth incident, they applied the ICC code of conduct. So I assume, the ICC's code will be followed in this case too. But like I said, the IPL/BCCI will choose whether to follow the ICC's code of conduct when it suits their convenience. The Bhajji incident was there for all to see. The BCCI couldnt have shielded him like they did in the Symonds case.
Having said that there's one reason why the IPL might take a tough stance - Asif and Akhtar had been banned by the PCB (after an internal investigation) and not by ICC. So they werent going against the ICC but a toothless cricketing board, by letting Akhtar play. But if WADA, the independent agency that does the dope-testing for IPL, says that Asif is tainted then the IPL has no choice but to invoke ICC's code of conduct. They say MLB erred (and still is) by not going with a third-party for conducting tests. Atleast the IPL has gotten that right.
http://www.rediff.com/cricket/2008/jul/14dope.htm
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