ICC confirms anti doping policy for ICC Champions Trophy 2004

Players or officials breaching the anti doping policy put in place for September's ICC Champions Trophy will face bans of up to two years from the game, along with financial penalties the ICC announced today.

The ICC is working with UK Sport to implement an anti doping policy for the tournament that meets stringent international standards, including the use of World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) accredited laboratories for the testing of samples.

ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said that while cricket is regarded as a low-risk sport for drug abuse, it was important to demonstrate compliance with the rigorous anti doping standards recognised by leading authorities: "International cricket has a good track record in steering clear of drug related problems. No player tested positive for drugs at the last ICC Cricket World Cup in South Africa (Shane Warne's test was carried out in Australia before the tournament), and I would expect the same high standards to be maintained during the ICC Champions Trophy.

"If however any individual decides to take a risk by using prohibited drugs, the anti doping code we have adopted provides powerful deterrents for proven offenders. A minimum ban of two years could effectively spell the end of a player's international career," said Mr Speed.

Process

Two players from each of the 12 competing teams will be randomly selected for drugs testing at all of the 15 ICC Champions Trophy matches.

In the event of a positive test being returned the player will be immediately suspended and the case referred to the tournament Drugs Tribunal, which is an independent three person panel consisting of a senior legal practitioner, a medical specialist and a former cricketer or administrator.

Decisions reached by the Drugs Tribunal would be subject to appeal by both the player and the ICC. Any appeal would be referred to a Drugs Appeal Tribunal. The Drugs Appeal Tribunal also consists of a senior legal practitioner, a medical specialist and a former cricketer or administrator.

Any player found guilty of a doping practice could be subject to the following sanctions:

All competing teams and their medical representatives were circulated with details of the anti doping code in April of this year. The issue was discussed at the June meeting of member country chief executives in London, where the responsibility for ensuring that all players and medical staff were fully aware of the code was stressed. The code forms part of the Participating Nations Agreement for the tournament, which was circulated for signature to all participants at the end of July.

"International cricketers are familiar with the requirements of anti doping regimes around the world and the ICC code is consistent with many of those in regular use. We anticipate a drugs-free tournament and in conjunction with UK Sport have put in place a thorough and rigorous process to support and uphold that ambition," said Malcolm Speed.