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| February 27, 2003 | Thursday | Zul Hijjah 25, 1423 |
‘Cricket’s drug policy could be altered’
POTCHEFSTROOM (South Africa), Feb 26: Australia vice-captain Adam Gilchrist believes there may be scope to alter cricket’s policy on drug-use.
“It is extremely important in regard to use of illegal substances,” he told reporters on Wednesday. “But there is definitely an area that may be able to reassessed.
“Cricket is a unique sport as opposed to other athletic events I guess that the IOC’s (International Olympic Committee) policy covers in a wide range of competitions.
“The broader picture we think of with drugs in sport is performance-enhancing drugs, something to give someone an unfair advantage and there is no place for that in any sport.
“But may be there is the possibility for refinement in cricket as opposed to a blanket policy that covers every sport in the world, particularly when it gets to delicate issues like the one that has just gone down with Shane (Warne’s) scenario,” he added.
The current tournament is the first World Cup to include random drug-testing and Australia is one of four countries — the others are South Africa, New Zealand and England — to have testing policies in place. Pakistan are believed to be implementing a similar policy in the near future.
Gilchrist’s comments could be interpreted as support for Warne, who has started a 12-month ban from playing and coaching at all levels imposed on him by the Australian Cricket Board’s anti-doping committee.
The 33-year-old leg-spinner admitted taking two diuretics saying he took the fluid reduction tablets to improve his appearance.
The tablets can also be used as a masking agent to disguise the use of other drugs.
“All our support is with him as a friend, a team mate and a person,” Gilchrist said. “He is a friend to everyone in the team, our team mate and our thoughts go out to him.”
The findings of the anti-doping committee’s hearing into Warne’s case were released in Australia on Wednesday.
“It is an issue that is all out there now, the report has come out, the findings, the hearing, it is all fairly transparent from now on,” said Gilchrist.
“From a team point of view we are not going to focus on that much more, we are going to move on.
“We have got a very, very capable replacement here now (Nathan Hauritz) and we just want to focus on what we have been able to do under difficult circumstances over the last two weeks and that is to play good cricket.”—Reuters
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