BCCI rejects 'whereabouts' testing

[Uppercut]

Its true that an individuals privacy is important but as Roger Federer said the other day, inspite of valuing one's privacy the issue of hunting down the "cheats" is even more important.

I completely disagree. Privacy might not be important to Federer, but it's important to a lot of us. Catching the "cheats" is less important than, say, thwarting the drugs industry, but the government don't reserve the right to know where we are every single day so they can randomly show up and make sure we're not carrying any cocaine. That would be absurdly totalitarian. Why do we expect athletes to accept it in their jobs?

If you can't stop athletes taking drugs without infringing horrendously on their civil liberties, you don't stop them taking drugs. It's as simple as that.

 

[Uppercut]

Here is the list of sports bodies that have accepted the WADA code. It would be amazing if no sportsmen under hundreds of these sports bodies had any reasons/reservations of their own like the Indian cricketers, yet. . .

So? Just because a lot of other people don't mind bending over and submitting their everyday whereabouts to an independent body doesn't mean the Indian cricket team should.

 

[SJS]

I completely disagree. Privacy might not be important to Federer, but it's important to a lot of us. Catching the "cheats" is less important than, say, thwarting the drugs industry, but the government don't reserve the right to know where we are every single day so they can randomly show up and make sure we're not carrying any cocaine. That would be absurdly totalitarian. Why do we expect athletes to accept it in their jobs?

If you can't stop athletes taking drugs without infringing horrendously on their civil liberties, you don't stop them taking drugs. It's as simple as that.

So? Just because a lot of other people don't mind bending over and submitting their everyday whereabouts to an independent body doesn't mean the Indian cricket team should.

No comments.

 

[SJS]

'Cricket has to be squeaky clean'
Tony Greig

The WADA issue

The entire fracas over the WADA issue has revolved around whether the Indian players and the BCCI are justified in their objections. They have every justification to question anything the ICC does - India is, after all, an ICC member. The more important question is to do with the image of the game. Cricket has to be seen to be squeaky clean. The reputation of the game has already suffered as a result of the match-fixing saga.

The whereabouts clause is not nearly as draconian as it is being made out to be. If WADA want to test a player, all they have to do is contact the relevant board, who should then facilitate WADA immediately. It's not as if the player is going to be dragged off some beach kicking and screaming. The game that has made the Indian players millions should, at least, while these players are playing, be allowed to see to it that they stick to their end of the deal. Thankfully the BCCI seem to be coming round to this attitude.​

 

[sirdj]

Well obviously I can't bet a million bucks since I don't have that, but outside of the professional road cycling season which generally runs from late January to mid-October, they don't just sit by the beach sinking can after can of beer. There are often sponsor functions, award/presentation nights (especially if you are the current World or Olympic Champ, then there can be alot), criteriums (circuit races which are about 1.9km in length and go for an hour) to which they turn up to and earn some healthy appearance money (and sometimes they are in different towns and cities), there are often track cycling events called 6 dayers (as the name suggests, they go for 6 days) held in various European cities and there isn't a big time gap between them, if they have changed teams for the next year then there is generally a training camp where all the new and exisiting riders get together to get to know each other, and any pre-season training camps as well. And this as not before you take in any personal vacation time. And FYI your 'whereabouts' are not set in stone, it that can be changed via SMS, e-mail, or logging on to a secure website and you can update your details and as many times as possible (ie if Dhoni is at the airport and finds his plane to Mumbai is going to be delayed by 5 hours, then he can send an SMS or find somewhere in the airport that has an e-mail connection or WI-FI to which he can use on his laptop or mobile phone to which he can make his changes).

So trust me, they do move about a fair bit. Funny how I'm trying to have a proper conversation and you are the one who is getting angry, and patronising people.

OK so the Cyclist have a busy schedule, but the Indians cricketers are at a greater risk.

But since you don't wish to believe so, this discussion is moot.

 

[sirdj]

'Cricket has to be squeaky clean'
Tony Greig

The WADA issue

The entire fracas over the WADA issue has revolved around whether the Indian players and the BCCI are justified in their objections. They have every justification to question anything the ICC does - India is, after all, an ICC member. The more important question is to do with the image of the game. Cricket has to be seen to be squeaky clean. The reputation of the game has already suffered as a result of the match-fixing saga.

The whereabouts clause is not nearly as draconian as it is being made out to be. If WADA want to test a player, all they have to do is contact the relevant board, who should then facilitate WADA immediately. It's not as if the player is going to be dragged off some beach kicking and screaming. The game that has made the Indian players millions should, at least, while these players are playing, be allowed to see to it that they stick to their end of the deal. Thankfully the BCCI seem to be coming round to this attitude.​

By that logic Cycling as it has been WADA complient should be pretty squeaky clean by now. Wow what a clean sport!!
Cricket on the other hand.................... booo!!! What drug cheats.

 

[Richard]

Here is the list of sports bodies that have accepted the WADA code. It would be amazing if no sportsmen under hundreds of these sports bodies had any reasons/reservations of their own like the Indian cricketers, yet. . .

Yet only the Indian cricketers (and board) have had the insoucience\big-headedness\madness to stand-up to WADA and risk their game's ostracisation in order to say "that's not right".

Hopefully, maybe, once this has gotten a bit more wide publicity, a few more players and sports bodies might take-up the cudgels and maybe WADA's vice-like grip on deciding for themselves what the ethics concerned are will be broken.

 

[Sanz]

Here is the list of sports bodies that have accepted the WADA code. It would be amazing if no sportsmen under hundreds of these sports bodies had any reasons/reservations of their own like the Indian cricketers, yet. . .

How do you know that sportsmen under these sports bodies didn't have any reservations about the 'whereabout' clause ?

 

[Cruxdude]

Actually FIFA has seen to it that the 'whereabouts' clause is changed for its case. With FIFA now only the injured and people who have a history in drugs are needed to supply their whereabouts. So it is not as if WADA has been accepted unanimously. Even now the rest of the cricket boards support the BCCI over this matter. I still feel it is better being safe than sorry over security of Sachin, Dhoni, etc...

 

[Richard]

How do you know that sportsmen under these sports bodies didn't have any reservations about the 'whereabout' clause ?

He doesn't, and wasn't suggesting they did. He was suggesting that sportsmen from other sports put their reservations aside and went along with the WADA way. Whereas the Indian cricketers have not.

 

[Cruxdude]

He doesn't, and wasn't suggesting they did. He was suggesting that sportsmen from other sports put their reservations aside and went along with the WADA way. Whereas the Indian cricketers have not.

FIFA had it changed to suit them, so what's wrong with the Indians doing it.

 

[Richard]

Don't know why you're quoting my post to say that TBH - I for one think it'd be great if they did.

In fact I'd be much happier to see, instead of one or two sports changing it for their own benefit, one or two sports rebelling and refusing to accept the WADA's idiocy encouraging others to rebel and force the WADA to change the idiocy to something less invasive of privacy.

 

[Cruxdude]

Don't know why you're quoting my post to say that TBH - I for one think it'd be great if they did.

In fact I'd be much happier to see, instead of one or two sports changing it for their own benefit, one or two sports rebelling and refusing to accept the WADA's idiocy encouraging others to rebel and force the WADA to change the idiocy to something less invasive of privacy.

Ohh sorry then. I thought you meant to say Indians were wrong to go against the crowd.

 

[Top_Cat]

I completely disagree. Privacy might not be important to Federer, but it's important to a lot of us. Catching the "cheats" is less important than, say, thwarting the drugs industry, but the government don't reserve the right to know where we are every single day so they can randomly show up and make sure we're not carrying any cocaine. That would be absurdly totalitarian. Why do we expect athletes to accept it in their jobs?

If you can't stop athletes taking drugs without infringing horrendously on their civil liberties, you don't stop them taking drugs. It's as simple as that.

Completely agree.

Personally reckon we're going to find out more about the reacreational drug use of cricketers than anything else. Tipping Ponting to have a secret meth habit. Would explain his speed rages against umpires.

 

[duffer]

I completely disagree. Privacy might not be important to Federer, but it's important to a lot of us. Catching the "cheats" is less important than, say, thwarting the drugs industry, but the government don't reserve the right to know where we are every single day so they can randomly show up and make sure we're not carrying any cocaine. That would be absurdly totalitarian. Why do we expect athletes to accept it in their jobs?

If you can't stop athletes taking drugs without infringing horrendously on their civil liberties, you don't stop them taking drugs. It's as simple as that.

Oh indeed.

 

[SJS]

The price to pay - Ian Chappel

 

[Pratters]

Uppercut spot on here.

 

[Top_Cat]

The price to pay - Ian Chappel

It's not just about some esoteric privacy concerns, not wanting to be watched, etc. Anyone with an ounce of computer security knowledge will suggest to you the only way to ensure a repository or information about anything doesn't get compromised is to turn-off then unplug the computer and lock it in a safe. Computer security is usually a couple of years behind cracking techniques so the chances of a breach by anyone of any talent are pretty high. Of course, it's not a frequent occurrance in all probability but it sucks that 'for the good of the game', supposedly, one has to submit personal, potentially dangerous information to almost definitely insecure method of storing that info. And there should be little doubt that there are some very talented people with agendas out there who'd love to get their hands on that info.

'If you've got nothing to hide, you'll be alright' is similarly bull**** reasoning because it's based on the presumption that all info about you and your activities will be presented in context. This info won't be government-held either (not that it guarantees ethical use of the info but at least there's fewer commercial motives for crimes or negligence there) but in the hands of a private organisation. I can understand people, especially targets for terrorism or any reasons really, being a bit nervous about that.

 

[SJS]

It's not just about some esoteric privacy concerns, not wanting to be watched, etc. Anyone with an ounce of computer security knowledge will suggest to you the only way to ensure a repository or information about anything doesn't get compromised is to turn-off then unplug the computer and lock it in a safe. Computer security is usually a couple of years behind cracking techniques so the chances of a breach by anyone of any talent are pretty high. Of course, it's not a frequent occurrance in all probability but it sucks that 'for the good of the game', supposedly, one has to submit personal, potentially dangerous information to almost definitely insecure method of storing that info. And there should be little doubt that there are some very talented people with agendas out there who'd love to get their hands on that info.

'If you've got nothing to hide, you'll be alright' is similarly bull**** reasoning because it's based on the presumption that all info about you and your activities will be presented in context. This info won't be government-held either (not that it guarantees ethical use of the info but at least there's fewer commercial motives for crimes or negligence there) but in the hands of a private organisation. I can understand people, especially targets for terrorism or any reasons really, being a bit nervous about that.

Its a tough one TC.

Of course one understands the security concerns. Ditto with privacy. On the other hand the concerns about doping are valid too. I think if both sides understood this much a via media can be found which is what should have been the aim from the very beginning.

I think where BCCI and some of the cricketers went wrong was to talk only of their own issues without uttering the simple "of course we are concerned about the doping issue and we would like to find a way out". At least one official (Shukls-Vice President) and a couple of cricketers went on record to say words to the effect, "When we are submitting to Tests during the events why should WADA insist on off-season testing also. This is harassment blah blah blah"

Surely that attitude smacks of ignorance at the minimum and arrogance to many considering the issues between BCCI and ICC in recent times.

I have my sympathies with the players on both issues of security and privacy but I have none for players going to answer media on their own as if it was a one to one between Zahher (or Harbhajan/Yuvraj) and WADA. There is BCCI and their is ICC. The players have to give their feedback and voice their concerns, individually or colectively, inside the four walls of the BCCI. The BCCI officials too need to be more diplomatic and keep the dialogue with ICC rather than rush to the media everytime something comes up because then it is 'summer time' for the media. The Indian media goes to town painting ICC and WADA with a black brush and the world media does the same to BCCI and the Indian cricketers.

This is immature and irresponsible at the least.

 

[Pigeon]

Its a tough one TC.

Of course one understands the security concerns. Ditto with privacy. On the other hand the concerns about doping are valid too. I think if both sides understood this much a via media can be found which is what should have been the aim from the very beginning.

I think where BCCI and some of the cricketers went wrong was to talk only of their own issues without uttering the simple "of course we are concerned about the doping issue and we would like to find a way out". At least one official (Shukls-Vice President) and a couple of cricketers went on record to say words to the effect, "When we are submitting to Tests during the events why should WADA insist on off-season testing also. This is harassment blah blah blah"

Surely that attitude smacks of ignorance at the minimum and arrogance to many considering the issues between BCCI and ICC in recent times.

I have my sympathies with the players on both issues of security and privacy but I have none for players going to answer media on their own as if it was a one to one between Zahher (or Harbhajan/Yuvraj) and WADA. There is BCCI and their is ICC. The players have to give their feedback and voice their concerns, individually or colectively, inside the four walls of the BCCI. The BCCI officials too need to be more diplomatic and keep the dialogue with ICC rather than rush to the media everytime something comes up because then it is 'summer time' for the media. The Indian media goes to town painting ICC and WADA with a black brush and the world media does the same to BCCI and the Indian cricketers.

This is immature and irresponsible at the least.

Now the blame is shifted onto the players for talking out loud their concerns? Bizzare.

There was the opposite upheaval when BCCI gagged it's players from writing articles and basically expressing them in public media.