Drug testing for women

England batsman Claire Taylor has been picked for the International Registered Testing Pool to be monitored for drug use. She explains what the protocol includes, how she worries she might mess it up, and why it is a burden for women cricketers, who need to take time off from work to turn up for tests and account for their whereabouts.

... for three months at a time, supply information to a central body with the following compulsory facts for each day:

a) Where I will be sleeping that night b) What is my appointed hour for that day c) Where I will be during the appointed hour.

Then I have to supply information about all my competition time; every England game, every club, county and MCC game. Then more information about my training time. They even asked me to supply information for all significant periods of time (who decides what's significant?) just in case they decide to visit me outside the appointed hour or outside training or competition time, which they are entitled to do.

The lady who explained all this to me said that the players' unions had been consulted. I don't belong to any union! She said that I could nominate someone with agent rights to load up all the information to the database for me. An agent? That sounds suspiciously like something someone who actually earned money from the sport would have!