IPL 2020 will see several dope tests as India’s National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) has finalized its dope testing program for the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), to be held in the UAE from September 19 to November 10. Indian Premier League (IPL 2020) was postponed from 29th March and was moved abroad as the situation due to Covid-19 pandemic has not improved in India.
The virus has killed thousands of people around the world including celebrities resulting in postponement and cancellation of various sporting events as the world stayed at home for 5 months from March end to July. Cricket was resumed in August when West Indies toured England for three tests.
It is learnt that NADA will be soon positioning up a total of five ‘Dope Control Stations’ (DCS) in the Emirates to carry out its anti-doping activities and one DCS will be at each of the three venues in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, and centres will also be at the two nominated training venues which are respectively at ICC Academy in Dubai and Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
IPL 2020: NADA May Collect Blood Samples Besides Urine Samples
NADA’s director-general, Navin Agarwal, has informed that its dope control officers (DCOs) have been directed to perform the testing only at the playing venues during the competition, while testing will strictly be carried out at the training sites before the competition starts. A total of 50 samples of cricketers will be collected during the tournament.
NADA has also not ruled out the probability of collecting blood samples besides urine samples. Apart from leading international cricketers like Dale Steyn, Pat Cummins, Steve Smith, David Warner, Kane Williamson, Eoin Morgan, NADA’s DCOs will also be motivated to test Indian cricketers in the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni as well as others like Suresh Raina, Piyush Chawla, Robin Uthappa, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and others.
Previously several International and Indian prominent star cricketers like Shane Warne, Prithvi Shaw, Upul Tharanga, Shoaib Akhtar, Stephen Fleming, Pradeep Sangwan, Mohammad Asif, Yusuf Pathan and Ahmed Shehzad were suspended after failing dope tests. The most famous doping scandal, however, came when Shane Warne was suspended for a year after failing dope tests before the start of 2003 World Cup.
IPL 2020: Three Teams Of NADA To Arrive In Batches At UAE
Three separate teams consisting of several NADA officials and DCOs, with teams consisting of five members each which includes one senior NADA official besides having two lead DCOs and two local companions which are provided by the UAE’s anti-doping body have been formed to conduct the anti-doping program.
These three teams will travel to the Emirates in batches and will be tested prior and after their arrival for COVID-19.
“The first batch will leave in the first week of September. Before their departure, all team members will be tested for Covid-19. Upon their arrival in the UAE, they will be tested again.”
Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli has asked everyone to respect the biosecurity bubble which was created to prevent the coronavirus from spreading further besides adding that one mistake by any player would spoil the IPL.
Most recently KKR’s star all-rounder big hitter Andre Russell committed an “anti-doping whereabouts” violation after missing three doping tests in one year in 2016 and subsequently was banned from cricket for one year on January 2017.
In April 2019, England’s opener Alex Hales tested positive for a recreational drug as he underwent a hair follicle test. Alex Hales was subjected to a ban by ECB for 21 days as it was his second violation along with his removal from England’s squad which won the 2019 Cricket World Cup. He has not been picked since then in any format.