October 19, 2006	Thursday	Ramazan 25, 1427

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LAHORE, Oct 18: Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) anti-doping policy, which has been lying in cold storage since 2002, has neither been properly implemented nor used for creating awareness among players, information gathered by Dawn revealed.

According to the policy, the PCB had to form its Anti-Doping Commission besides appointing an anti-doping medical adviser over five years ago. The commission was supposed to conduct dope tests and, in case of positive results, required to impose sanctions in accordance with the IOC regulations. The medical adviser needed to arrange seminars to create awareness among the players about banned drugs. However, none of the two tasks were accomplished by the PCB.

Under clause 2.2 (b), the policy says that PCB has to educate and inform all stakeholders about drugs while clause (c) states that it has to support the drug testing and awareness programmes of Pakistan Olympic Association and other drug testing authorities.

Under clause 2.3, PCB should have initiated drug education and information programmes for players, coaches, officials, and medical and health practitioners in the past five years or so.

The policy also dictates PCB to have an Anti-Doping Appeals Tribunal for hearing appeals following any decision made by the Anti-Doping Commission. The tribunal is to then investigate any possible breach in the procedure while conducting tests.

Although PCB should also have implemented the policy on the domestic matches, the cricket’s ruling body hardly took any steps to check drugs use in the country.

Under the clause 8.1 (b), a player involved in using performance-enhancing drugs, can be banned for a minimum of two years for a first doping offence and for life for testing positive for the second time. In addition, 10 minor sanctions can also be imposed on the player.

It was in 2003 that Pakistan team went through dope tests for the first time before the World Cup and none of the players tested positive.