BCCI finally says yes to NADA tests

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) Ending years of defiance, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Friday finally agreed to come under the ambit of National Anti-Doping Agency. This means that the BCCI will now have all its cricketers tested for doping at NADA.

Speaking to IANS, a BCCI official confirmed the development and said that the Sports Ministry is very clear that all players must be tested only by NADA.

"Yes, (BCCI CEO) Rahul Johri met the concerned people in the ministry and they have said that the Indian cricket players must be tested by NADA. The BCCI has brought to the fore their reservations with the process, but the Sports Ministry has said that it will look into them and ensure that the BCCI is also happy with the process in place," the official said.

The BCCI, had for long, opposed to signing up with NADA, claiming that it is an autonomous body, not a National Sports Federation and does not rely on government funding.

However, the Sports Ministry had maintained that the cricket board has to come under the NADA ambit.

The development comes just days after BCCI suspended India and Mumbai opener Prithvi Shaw for a doping violation. In fact, even after the process, NADA had made it clear that the board doesn't have the right to test players.