Former Pakistan cricketer Ahmed Shehzad alleged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) does not permit the International Cricket Council (ICC) to conduct dope tests on Indian players. Notably, Team India has qualified for the semifinals of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026, and Pakistan are out of the tournament after losing against England.
Who conducts doping Tests for ICC?
Doping tests in international cricket are conducted under the rules of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), with the ICC supervising the process.
How the doping Test works
These tests usually include random or targeted urine and blood samples to check for any banned substances. Players can be tested during matches as well as outside of competition to make sure the game remains fair. If a player is found to have broken the anti-doping rules, the ICC has the authority to take disciplinary action.
Ahmed Shehzad's allegations on BCCI
However, Shehzad claimed that the BCCI follows a different approach. According to the former Pakistan opener, the Indian board carries out its own anti-doping tests instead of relying on officials appointed by the ICC. He also alleged that the BCCI prefers to depend on its own technology rather than outside testing systems.
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"BCCI does not allow the ICC to conduct dope tests on Indian players during ICC events. Dope tests are used to check whether players are taking drugs or banned substances. Whenever the ICC asks to conduct dope tests on Indian players, the BCCI rejects it and says they have better technology to test their players themselves,” said Shehzad speaking on a television show.
India vs England T20 World Cup 2026 semifinal
Suryakumar Yadav-led India will now face England in the semifinals of the marquee event, which will take place at iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. This will be the third time that India and England will face each other in the semifinals of the T20 World Cup. Earlier, the two heavyweights faced each other in the 2022 semis in Australia, where England sealed their berth for the finale, defeating India by 10 wickets and after that two sides faced each other in the 2024 semifinal where Rohit Sharma-led side defeated England by 68 runs.