Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shafali Verma under NADA scanner for missed dope tests: Report

Amid increasing scrutiny around whereabouts failures under anti-doping regulations, Indian cricketers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shafali Verma have reportedly come under the scanner of the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA).

According to reports, NADA has issued notices to both players for alleged whereabouts failures under anti-doping regulations.

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Both cricketers are currently part of NADA’s Registered Testing Pool (RTP), which requires athletes to regularly update their whereabouts information and remain available for no-advance-notice dope testing.

Athletes registered under NADA’s RTP are required to submit details including their home address, email address, phone number, overnight accommodation details, competition schedules and locations, along with a daily 60-minute time slot during which they must be available for testing. Failure to be available during that period can result in a “missed test”.

As per a report by Amar Ujala, Dope Control Officers (DCOs) arrived to conduct tests on Jaiswal on December 17 last year and on Verma on November 7, but both players were allegedly not found at their specified locations.

The report further stated that NADA sought explanations from the players on February 18 and 20 this year and gave them seven days to respond. However, neither player reportedly submitted a reply, following which NADA officially recorded a “first missed test” against both cricketers.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) have also been informed about the missed tests.

Under Article 2.4 of NADA’s anti-doping rules, any combination of three whereabouts failures, including filing failures and missed tests, within a 12-month period can amount to an anti-doping rule violation and may result in a suspension of up to four years.