BCCI replies to NADA, says not subjected to its jurisdiction

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Friday responded to the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) on doping issue saying the former is not a National Sports Federation and thus is not subjected to the jurisdiction of NADA.

The BCCI in a statement said that it is an autonomous sports organisation and is affiliated to International Cricket Council (ICC) and is required to operate within the rules and regulations set by it.

The statement read, "At the very outset, it is necessary to clarify that the BCCI is not a National Sports Federation but an autonomous sports organisation affiliated to the International Cricket Council (ICC), which governs the game of cricket globally."

"Accordingly, whilst the BCCI acknowledges that the NADA is the nodal agency responsible for implementation of anti-doping measures for all National Sports Federations in India, the BCCI is not subject to the jurisdiction of NADA and is required to operate within the rules and regulations net by the ICC," it further informed.

Earlier, the sports ministry ordered the NADA to conduct tests on cricketers and has sought the BCCI cooperation to enforce the World Anti Doping Code on Indian cricketers.

The move came following a letter from World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), raising concerns over the BCCI's non-compliance.

The BCCI further replied that the NADA does not have jurisdiction to conduct dope testing of Indian cricketers in any domestic competition or international event organised by or under the backing of BCCI.

Thus, there is no requirement for any board official to coordinate with the NADA for dope testing either during competitions or out-of-competitions.

The recent development came in the wake of a 2016 WADA report which found one Indian cricketer to have tested positive for banned substances among the 153 BCCI accredited cricketers.