GAL fun in the world of international cricket...

I have been meaning to post for a while now on some of the always entertaining (and often GAL/relevant) machinations of international cricket governance. An interesting storm is brewing in this field once again: the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) - a hugely important actor in this sector given the popularity of cricket in India and the vast sums of money that can now be generated there around the sport - has decided that it will side with the views of its elite players and refuse to become a signatory to the WADA Code.

Interesting issues of public/private governance are raised here. The WADA is a formally private body, but its Anti-Doping Code is of major public significance, not least after having been formally incorporated into the UNESCO International Convention Against Doping in Sport. According to Gordon Farquhar of the BBC, the Indian Sports Minister and its Olympic association are lobbying the BBCI to change its mind. The BCCI is, however, preparing to propose instead to the International Cricket Council that all cricketing bodies leave the WADA system and adopt a cricket-specific anti-doping code. This seems an unlikely outcome, but given the extraordinary popularity and finaces of the new 20/20 Indian Premier League, I suppose that anything is possible. Will be watching this space over the next few weeks, in any event..