Here's How How Prithvi Shaw Sent BCCI Kneeling Down On Its Knees

Prithvi's case became a trigger for the sports ministry to refuel their age-old fight against the BCCI

Prithvi Shaw was supposed to shake up Indian cricket like Sachin Tendulkar once did. This new kid from Mumbai has done exactly that, but not the way he would have wanted. Prithvi's case became a trigger for the sports ministry to refuel their age-old fight against the BCCI. Inadvertently --- just as ‘inadvertently’ the Mumbai kid ingested the cough syrup which contained a World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) banned substance Terbutaline. BCCI’s handling of the case, the delay in announcing the punishment, self-judging the case, letting off the cricketer with just a rap on the knuckles --- an eight-month ban instead of a mandatory two-year sentence is exactly that – and media outcry forced the sports ministry to tighten their screws. Blackmail the BCCI, virtually, by holding up their mandatory clearances to allow visiting teams to play. And so Friday morning meeting of the BCCI CEO and its officials brought back both sanity and truce by agreeing that National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) will test their cricketers and BCCI will follow the same protocol like all National Sports Federations. Sanity because BCCI had played rough with their clout to toss away all rulebooks, brings a semblance of equality between all sports and sportspersons to be treated in the same manner, and not by their bank balance or twitter followers. Truce because it’s just a start. There are far more things waiting to blow upon the face. “All cricketers will now be tested by NADA,” Sports secretary Radheshyam Jhulaniya said.

BCCI to now come under the ambit of NADA (National Anti-Doping Agency). Sports Secretary RS Julaniya says "BCCI does not have discretion to say no. All are same, everyone has to follow the same rules" pic.twitter.com/S2rTQ36KKg

— ANI (@ANI) August 9, 2019

WHAT DOES IT MEAN? For starters, Friday’s agreement means NADA officials can knock at the doors of Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma anytime. Anywhere. From now on, top players will be duty-bound to give 1-hour window every day between 6 AM to 11 pm and also tell them where they will be during that timeframe so that they can be located at a specified destination they have provided. Anywhere means, NADA will have to be informed where they will be travelling --- domestic or international. NADA officials may come, or they may not. But cricketers will now have to keep their 1-hour window clear. And precise. If NADA officials land up, and the location is wrong or their whereabouts are not traceable, it's counted a miss. 3 miss and it’s a straight two-year ban! Relax, that’s no invasion of privacy. That’s how Roger Federer, Usain Bolt, Micheal Phelps, Ronaldo are tested worldwide by their respective anti-doping agencies. These are protocols of WADA that have to be adhered to. By each country, each sport, each athlete. They respect that and accept it as mandatory and important to keep their sport doping-free. Till now the cricketers were only tested in-competition by WADA, like during the World Cup, Champions Trophy etc. It also means that the biggest roadblock towards cricket becoming an Olympic sport, something that the ICC wants desperately to make it a global sport, is closer to becoming a reality. At least, to begin with, let’s settle for CWG and Asian Games. Women’s cricket is already a part of CWG in 2022 and India can now officially stake a claim for a medal now that they are compliant. Cricketers now have to be extra careful. Any offence means a straightaway two-year ban. And no, it doesn’t differentiate the timing of the event or the athlete. It will not allow a big cricketer to go scot-free or delay the events to allow him to play a major tournament. It will not give youngsters any leniency for ignorance. Which once again, brings us back to Prithvi. By signing up to NADA and WADA guidelines, will it mean BCCI will agree to revisit Prithvi Shaw's case and impose the mandatory two-year sentence, which was so shoddily handled? We will wait and see. Whatever it may be, Prithvi has already achieved a milestone in his career. Inadvertently!