Let there be light

West Indies cricket seems to operate in a world of its own. We hosted a World Cup that had more guidelines and rules than any other; we allowed a captain to change his mind after tendering his resignation and then re-appointed him; and we keep a secret for players who fail drug tests.

Two weeks ago news broke that two players who were participating in a camp for the Stanford Superstars in Antigua had failed a drugs test in August. Authorites have yet to confirm their names but speculation has been rife over the identity of the two players.

Disappointingly, West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) chief executive Donald Peters, has become a modern day Pontius Pilate, side-stepping the issue with his now infamous quote: "They were part of the Stanford 20/20 camp so that is not our matter to deal with."

What is disturbing is that there have been positive tests in previous years and they have been kept secret. Had it not been for chairman of the Caribbean Regional Anti-Doping Organisation (RADO), Dr Adrian Lorde, we would still be in the dark. Speaking on Voice of Barbados' Sports Everywhere programme recently, Lorde mentioned there were positive drug tests in the Caribbean before and "justice has been done to those persons".

In other spheres of sporting activity, drug cheats are exposed, but why is it supposedly different in West Indies cricket. Athletes who use dope are like criminals and sports authorities must make fighting the problem a priority.

Keeping the names secret just leads to speculation and rumour. What happens now is that people will second guess every player who has not been chosen in a Test or one-day squad over the past three or four years.

The problem of doping won't disappear overnight and pretending that it does not exist will not help the cause. It is shocking that we already know the names of those who failed drug tests at the 29th Olympiad in Beijing, China, but right in our backyard there is no disclosure when there are positive tests in a sport we hold so dearly. But why should I be surprised? Those who govern our cricket have a track record of failing to embrace both the players and the public. Shamefully, that has been par for the course.

Our cricket will remain in the dark if we continue with this cloak of secrecy that alienates the public. Let there be light.