BCCI rejects 'whereabouts' testing

[slippyslip]

But nobody has explained how terriorists will get the whereabouts about Indian cricketers if they are not published. I have never pretended to be an expert on India/Pakistan since I haven't been there (Kerala is on my wish list btw), but I try and learn as much as possible by being on here, watching World News Australia, on the internet etc. but I do know a bit about how the 'whereabouts' system works.

BTW I don't watch Fox "News" and I have been to 19 countries on this planet and about 4 of them were in Asia.

Apparently the ISI is going to hack the WADA and tell terrorists or something.

So what if the American mainland is better prepared to handle terrorism than India? Most American athletes testeed by the WADA arent actually in the USA. Or did Lance Armstrong do the Tour de France in Albuquerque, New Mexico?

 

[slippyslip]

This is something that seems to escape the notice of these guys. The Taliban would prefer a Sachin to an Usain Bolt any day.

I'm sure the Taliban would equally like a Michael Phelps or Lance Armstrong. Oh, wait, does the Taliban love the USA now or something?

Murdering Tendulkar would receive about as much attention in North America as a trip to the vet by Obama's dog. And since most media organisations follow the lead the USA it would receive very little attention outside of cricketing countries.

Murdering Michael Phelps. That would be the biggest story of the year - in any country.

 

[SJS]

What the Indian cricketers are saying is absolute nonsense.

Yes it does affect one's privacy a bit but there are thousands of sportsmen around the world who have submitted to it. I dare say some of them are bigger stars than Yuvraj, Zaheer and Harbhajan put together - Roger Federer for example.

Yes the Indians may find the terrorist threat a bit more worrisome but lets be sensible. The terrorists are not interested in blowing up one Bhajji, or one Zaheer, or one Yuvraj. Thats not a big enough 'bang' - excuse the sordid pun.

Yes they would love to blow up the entire Indian team (or any other country's for that matter. But unless the Indian cricketers are planning to spend their vacations huddled together in each other's company - this is a ridiculous call and the ICC should call their bluff.

 

[slippyslip]

What the Indian cricketers are saying is absolute nonsense.

Yes it does affect one's privacy a bit but there are thousands of sportsmen around the world who have submitted to it. I dare say some of them are bigger stars than Yuvraj, Zaheer and Harbhajan put together - Roger Federer for example.

Yes the Indians may find the terrorist threat a bit more worrisome but lets be sensible. The terrorists are not interested in blowing up one Bhajji, or one Zaheer, or one Yuvraj. Thats not a big enough 'bang' - excuse the sordid pun.

Yes they would love to blow up the entire Indian team (or any other country's for that matter. But unless the Indian cricketers are planning to spend their vacations huddled together in each other's company - this is a ridiculous call and the ICC should call their bluff.

If terrorists were likely to attack the Indian cricket team it would be at a match rather than hunting them down individually.

Why go to all the effort of finding out where 1 Indian cricketer is during the off-season and then killing him when you can make an attack on a date known well beforehand and a location announced years beforehand?

 

[silentstriker]

The security concerns aren't really founded. It's about the unfair invasion of privacy for mine.

 

[Dissector]

Yes the Indians may find the terrorist threat a bit more worrisome but lets be sensible. The terrorists are not interested in blowing up one Bhajji, or one Zaheer, or one Yuvraj. Thats not a big enough 'bang' - excuse the sordid pun.

Maybe not one of these three but getting Sachin or Dhoni would be huge coup for any terrorist group. I don't know how serious the security angle is but I wouldn't rule it out by any means.

I agree with SS that the more serious issue is the invasion of privacy. Just because other athletes in other sports accept it doesn't mean that cricketers should as well. Perhaps doping isn't that serious an issue in cricket. Perhaps there are better ways to test for drugs than the WADA regime. I don't think there is any harm in searching for other options. Why not tailor a less intrusive regime and see how it works for a few years?

 

[sirdj]

But nobody has explained how terriorists will get the whereabouts about Indian cricketers if they are not published. I have never pretended to be an expert on India/Pakistan since I haven't been there (Kerala is on my wish list btw), but I try and learn as much as possible by being on here, watching World News Australia, on the internet etc. but I do know a bit about how the 'whereabouts' system works.

BTW I don't watch Fox "News" and I have been to 19 countries on this planet and about 4 of them were in Asia.

In my opinion, the security concerns of a sportsman is something personal.....just because Roger Federer is comfortable with the whereabouts clause does not mean that someone else should be. There are various things that contribute to the situation about Federer being OK with the whereabouts clause. Who knows how Federer would react if his name was on the wanted lists of local terrorists. One can't make any assumptions about that.

The whereabouts clause means that you have to keep the WADA informed all the time. With the Indian players and their off season schedules this will mean that they will probably have to update WADA about every other day if not every week.
Why are you all assuming that it is the WADA that is going to be the leak, I feel it is the Indian players themselves who will not be able to keep this update of wherebouts a watertight affair. Which is why they do not want to get into the business of whereabouts in the first place.

 

[sirdj]

Apparently the ISI is going to hack the WADA and tell terrorists or something.

So what if the American mainland is better prepared to handle terrorism than India? Most American athletes testeed by the WADA arent actually in the USA. Or did Lance Armstrong do the Tour de France in Albuquerque, New Mexico?

Lance Armstrong doing the Tour de France = In Season.
Its off season whereabout that are the concern. The Indian players are pretty happy with WADA testing them a million times during season. But why let facts come in the way of your prejudice.

 

[Pigeon]

I'm sure the Taliban would equally like a Michael Phelps or Lance Armstrong. Oh, wait, does the Taliban love the USA now or something?

Murdering Tendulkar would receive about as much attention in North America as a trip to the vet by Obama's dog. And since most media organisations follow the lead the USA it would receive very little attention outside of cricketing countries.

Murdering Michael Phelps. That would be the biggest story of the year - in any country.

Bull ****.

95% of people in the subcontinent have hardly heard about Micheal Phelps, that represents about 1 fifth of world's humanity.

Besides, Tendulkar was featured in the Time magazine atleast two times already.

 

[sirdj]

I'm sure the Taliban would equally like a Michael Phelps or Lance Armstrong. Oh, wait, does the Taliban love the USA now or something?

Murdering Tendulkar would receive about as much attention in North America as a trip to the vet by Obama's dog. And since most media organisations follow the lead the USA it would receive very little attention outside of cricketing countries.

Murdering Michael Phelps. That would be the biggest story of the year - in any country.

Here we go, another armchair expert purporting to know how the taliban brain works.

Let me spell it out for all you armchair experts:-
1. There is no american athelete on a taliban/Al qaeda hitlist.
2. Indian players ARE on a terrorist hitlist.
3. Not everything is done to get America's attention.
4. Phelps and other American atheletes do not roam around in India or Pakistan or somewhere in the subcontinent where they can be easily nabbed. If the taliban wanted to send a hit squad to the US they might as well kill a weasel politician than kill Phelps.

 

[Pigeon]

I think this "security issue" is a bit foolish to be projected as the major reason for thwarting the WADA line. It is fine as a minor issue.

 

[sirdj]

I think this "security issue" is a bit foolish to be projected as the major reason for thwarting the WADA line. It is fine as a minor issue.

I agree...but in the real world terrorist threats are taken more seriously than personal security concerns.

 

[SJS]

The security concerns aren't really founded. It's about the unfair invasion of privacy for mine.

Maybe not one of these three but getting Sachin or Dhoni would be huge coup for any terrorist group. I don't know how serious the security angle is but I wouldn't rule it out by any means.

I agree with SS that the more serious issue is the invasion of privacy. Just because other athletes in other sports accept it doesn't mean that cricketers should as well. Perhaps doping isn't that serious an issue in cricket. Perhaps there are better ways to test for drugs than the WADA regime. I don't think there is any harm in searching for other options. Why not tailor a less intrusive regime and see how it works for a few years?

I agree. Privacy is the main issue and not security. So we must stop talking of security.

Unfortunately ,BCCI and the Indian cricketers know, privacy will cut no ice considering the thousands of sportsmen around the world who have already signed on.

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.

Everyone knows there are drugs that can be taken much in advance of an event and are much less likely (if at all) to show up if tests are conducted during the event.

If the issue of privacy is going to allow some people to go scot free inspite of taking drugs, the sportsmen of the world have to decide whether they are serious about tackling the menace or not.

Let everyone say, " we dont mind if people take drugs as during their time off even if it amounts to cheating. For us the privacy issue is much more important." Then the issue that remains is for cricket administrators to decide that doping is to be condoned if not indulged in during the events.

 

[sirdj]

If the issue of privacy is going to allow some people to go scot free inspite of taking drugs, the sportsmen of the world have to decide whether they are serious about tackling the menace or not.

Let everyone say, " we dont mind if people take drugs as during their time off even if it amounts to cheating. For us the privacy issue is much more important." Then the issue that remains is for cricket administrators to decide that doping is to be condoned if not indulged in during the events.

IMO if you are indeed serious about drugs then at least have stricter punishments like a life ban if your caught. And a ban for the entire team as well as it was their business to keep testing you in the first place.

If for example Indian weightlifters are caught in a test, disqualify India from the olympics as its a national shame.

IMO the current punishment is just not serious enough.

 

[Streetwise]

IMO if you are indeed serious about drugs then at least have stricter punishments like a life ban if your caught. And a ban for the entire team as well as it was their business to keep testing you in the first place.

If for example Indian weightlifters are caught in a test, disqualify India from the olympics as its a national shame.

IMO the current punishment is just not serious enough.

So you would be willing to destroy the career of a weightlifter who has never taken drugs because another weightlifter in the team has taken drugs.

 

[sirdj]

So you would be willing to destroy the career of a weightlifter who has never taken drugs because another weightlifter in the team has taken drugs.

If missing an olympics is destroying a career then yes........you cant make an omlette without breaking some eggs. It was the Indian squads fault that they did not test their atheletes. Now when one is caught they should suffer.

 

[silentstriker]

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 cannot disagree with this statement more strongly. I don't buy that a gestapo like regime should be instituted just because we want to stamp out illegal activities. It's the same reason why you don't have to report yourself to the government every day just to make sure you're not doing anything illegal. If the alternative to such a ridiculous invasion of privacy means some people get away with illegal things, I'm OK with it.

 

[Pigeon]

I cannot disagree with this statement more strongly. I don't buy that a gestapo like regime should be instituted just because we want to stamp out illegal activities. It's the same reason why you don't have to report yourself to the government every day just to make sure you're not doing anything illegal. If the alternative to such a ridiculous invasion of privacy means some people get away with illegal things, I'm OK with it.

I second this post.

 

[Craig]

In my opinion, the security concerns of a sportsman is something personal.....just because Roger Federer is comfortable with the whereabouts clause does not mean that someone else should be. There are various things that contribute to the situation about Federer being OK with the whereabouts clause. Who knows how Federer would react if his name was on the wanted lists of local terrorists. One can't make any assumptions about that.

The whereabouts clause means that you have to keep the WADA informed all the time. With the Indian players and their off season schedules this will mean that they will probably have to update WADA about every other day if not every week.
Why are you all assuming that it is the WADA that is going to be the leak, I feel it is the Indian players themselves who will not be able to keep this update of wherebouts a watertight affair. Which is why they do not want to get into the business of whereabouts in the first place.

Then either learn to do it or hire somebody who can.

 

[sirdj]

Then either learn to do it or hire somebody who can.

When you're under presidential cover, you cant tell anyone your whereabout. Therfore you can't hire someone. Indian cricketers like Tendulkar and co move around about as much as a Hollywood star, they are here one minute and the next they are someplace else, especially with all their advertising and commercial arrangements. Why should they take it on themselves to do this kind of updates when they can reject the proposal altogether.