ICC looks for world-wide drug code for game

The International Cricket Council is looking to hold discussions with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) with a view to implementing a world-wide code for the sport. Whether that involves adoption of WADA's world policy, or a special version for cricket is likely to be the main point of discussion.

Malcolm Speed, the chief executive of the ICC, said in Christchurch today during a whistlestop visit with ICC chairman Ehsan Mani, that he hoped a meeting could be set up by next month.

Cricket does not have a world-wide drug protocol, and major cricket events have so far adopted the code applicable in the country where the event is being hosted. In last summer's World Cup, the South African drug code applied to the tournament.

Speed said a number of countries, including New Zealand, were tied to their government's sports protocol which was part of the WADA policy. The ICC has sought a meeting with WADA because it had some issues with the WADA code and it was hoped that it might be possible to have a policy that was a little more specific to cricket. "We hope to meet over the next six months and make some progress on that."

He also said that it was up to individual cricket boards to decide whether they should play two, three or four Tests in a series. Two was the minimum requirement under the ICC Test Championship. "In an ideal world we would like to see more than two Tests and it may be that we see three and four Tests in a series as the competition evolves. That would give a better indication and be a better competition."

The problem of too little Test-match play for some countries had meant that India scheduled only five Tests this year. Speed said the ICC could go to the executive meetings with recommendations on the number of Tests they would prefer but it was for the boards to decide what suited them best. One of the negatives of the scheme was that there were some countries that would not wish to play more than two Tests against some other countries.

Mani explained that the purpose of his and Speed's visit to New Zealand was to get a better understanding of the way the board runs cricket in the country. He added that he hoped to have completed visits to all countries by next year.

Speaking about his trip to New Zealand, Mani said: "There have been huge changes in New Zealand Cricket since the Hood Report which was not that long ago." Those changes were reflected in the way the New Zealand team was performing and he said he and Speed would take a lot back from their trip here. Their visit has coincided with the latest brush experienced by New Zealand with security issues as the squad prepared to leave for their delayed tour of Pakistan tomorrow.

"New Zealand has borne the brunt of security issues. They have been in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said in reference to the three bomb blasts that have affected New Zealand tours, twice in Sri Lanka and once in Pakistan.

"We are pleased the Pakistan tour is going ahead and we have been pleased with the spirit in which the boards involved are approaching this issue," Speed said. One of the problems in defining a common approach to the security problem was deciding what was safe and what wasn't.

Mani had no problem with NZC giving players the right to withdraw from the tour. "You can't force a player to go. The player has to be happy to go and New Zealand Cricket has handled it well."

Speed added that when professional cricketers made their career choice, they needed to remember that many of the cities in the world in which cricket is played are dangerous places. He said that he was very impressed with Stephen Fleming's statement that he was happy to leave the matter of the Pakistan tour to the NZC management. "That is not a viewpoint we see very often."

Speed also spoke about the extension of his contract till 2005, something that Mani said had always been intended to happen. "There has been a good deal of stress but I didn't think it would be a pleasant holiday. The only way to deal with that is to have the best people around you and not to be influenced by outside influences."

Speed said that he felt with all that had gone on in international cricket in the last few years, the organisation, with all the changes that had been implemented, was now better placed to handle crises than had been the case before.