NEWS
MATCH REPORTS
DIARY
OTHER SPORTS
SLIDE SHOW
PEOPLE
ARCHIVES

Drugs and racial code for Australian cricket

The Australian Cricket Board has adopted a racial code and drug-testing policy that it hopes will be adopted by other cricketing nations.

ACB chief Malcolm Speed said the board would lobby the International Cricket Council for the introduction of codes dealing with racial and religious vilification, and drug use.

Speed said Australia became the first cricketing nation to adopt a racial and religious vilification policy, and joined South Africa and England by having a drugs policy.

He said both ACB initiatives would take effect from next month.

"We'll be sending both documents to the ICC and telling the global body that at its next meeting, we will be moving to have these policies adopted worldwide,'' Speed said.

Under the drug code, all first-class cricketers in Australia will be subject to random tests for performance-enhancing drugs. Social drugs such as marijuana have been excluded from the tests.

Speed said drug cheats faced a two-year ban from the sport, and tests would be held out of season as well as during competitions.

He said the overall number of tests a year has yet to be decided under the code, based on the anti-doping policy of the Australian Sports Commission.

Speed said he was unaware of any past cases of performance-enhancing substances being used in cricket.

"We want to be in a position to deal with it when and if it arises,'' he said.

Under the racial and religious vilification code, players found guilty of an offense can be fined or suspended, the punishment to be determined by the ACB.

"We don't see that cricket is a high-risk sport in regards to racial or religious vilification,'' Speed said. "I don't know of any official complaint (in cricket), but there is some anecdotal evidence that many years ago there were some racist incidences.''

Speed said the ACB was not able to impose its policies on international touring teams to Australia, but hoped the codes would be adopted by all cricketing nations.