Dopes and little chickens

The real reason that the BCCI is taking on the entire universe on the ‘Whereabouts’ issue of WADA ( World Anti-Doping Agency) is because they are dopes of the first order.

Sure, the demands by WADA are indeed exacting but if cricket needs a global endorsement it will, must and should adhere to quality standards. Some of the world’s leading athletic superstars including Olympic champions have come under it’s hawk-eye and have been found guilty of deliberate and willful violation.

Performance-enhancement drugs are a modern-day, big money, high media visibility reality; it is important that the surreptitious practise is checked early.

In fact, rumors have flown fast and furious about how the IPL is a perfect setting for drug abuse; continuous cricket, mindless travel, sponsor commitments and late-night partying they all cause both mental and physical debilitation.

The opposition to WADA’s stringent requirements are understandable but if you want to be a multi-millionaire stud with a Porsche, become a role model and adorn billboards, my friend, play by the rules.

Incidentally, it is such a pathetic sight to see Harbhajan Singh and MS Dhoni land up to gang-up against WADA by becoming the pawns of BCCI, but these little chickens had no time to pick up their Padama Vibhushan from the President of India!

The BCCI has stopped shocking me anymore as they are more dense than the Amazon rain-forests. You can easily fathom that these superannuated moss-gathering ancient minds have no understanding of the ramifications of unethical behavior in a highly commercialised and televised sport. They need to understand that the most important reason behind dope-testing is to create a level-playing field so as to ensure that a champion team or the gold medalist has done so without unfair competitive advantage. To argue against that is not just absurd but grossly disrespectful of both the opponents who subject themselves to the tests and the game itself.

The BCCI has dragged in security, privacy and the Indian Constitution into it. Let me take the Indian Constitution first and tell you that it is the BCCI which denies the Indian cricketers the basic fundamental right of free expression by gag orders, restrictions on writing articles and generally frightening the life out of them. Poor Yousuf Pathan has been virtually forced to withdraw his criticism of BCCI by issuing several denials on his brother Irfan Pathan’s controversial drop from the probables squad for the Champions Trophy.

It is a crying shame that the draconian Big Brother attitude of BCCI has not changed even after numerous hard lessons it can draw some learning from.

The privacy argument is a real joke. The Indian cricketers have become like celluloid stars, they just cannot survive without being amidst camera-lights. Thus, you have the new scenario where now cricketers themselves chase Page 3 hang-outs, reality TV and Bollywood conquests; I guess it enhances that “persona effect” and gives them better market valuation. They, in fact, have virtually sold their privacy to their sports agents for further trading gains.

Sure, security is a genuine concern, but almost all leading international sports stars have similar issues in various games; it is not just an Indian problem. The Sri Lankan cricketers are always vulnerable to terrorist organisations even outside of their own country, as are English and Australian cricketers in sensitive regions simply because of the colour of their skin.

Incidentally, WADA is professional enough to empathise with security and safety-related aspects and has it’s own confidentiality norms and ethical commitments to live up to. It is not a product of a banana-republic for heaven’s sake.

Ideally, the BCCI should sign-up (as have all the other teams) and then collaborate with different boards in cricket and with other sports federations such as FIFA, ATP etc to discuss genuine difficulties and player adjustments and then seek a mature dialogue with WADA. By unilaterally refusing to go with the ICC’s anti-doping agency, the BCCI is making a complete mockery of it’s administrative vision.

It has none perhaps, blinded as it is by its own delusions of invincible power and indestructible might.

For ICC this is the acid test (it has failed all so far being subsumed by India’s treasury operations), but if India refuses to sign-up they should bar India from playing in the Champions Trophy and any and all other international cricket till it follows the rules, without exception.

The arrogance of the BCCI harms India’s reputation in more ways than one.

In the meantime, can someone please provide BCCI with a ” performance-enhancement” drug please? The dopes will be in illustrious company.