Former Australian great Ian Chappell says players' apprehensions to sign WADA's controversial 'whereabout clause' was understandable but feels the price was worth paying in view of a possible doping menace which may come with high pay packages for cricketers.
"It's easy to understand the concerns of both players and administrators as the ICC seeks to iron out the wrinkles in its recently adopted comprehensive drug-testing policy. The players are naturally worried about an invasion of privacy," Chappell said.
"If cricket shied away from a tough drug-testing regime, there's no guarantee doping wouldn't escalate and then down the track fans would have doubts, like there are in baseball now, over players' records," he was quoted as saying by the 'cricinfo'.
Chappell fears the gap in players' earnings could drive them to doping and create a competitive gap among them.
"It's easy to see why the ICC wants a random and year-round drug-testing regime. In cricket there's a major imbalance in players' earnings. If doping did escalate, the higher-paid performers would have access to the more sophisticated drugs.
"The risk of not having a tough, year-round drug-testing regime would be a widening in the competitive gap between the haves and the have-nots. The players using the cheaper drugs would also run a greater risk of being caught out by testing," he feared.
{{/usCountry}}"The risk of not having a tough, year-round drug-testing regime would be a widening in the competitive gap between the haves and the have-nots. The players using the cheaper drugs would also run a greater risk of being caught out by testing," he feared.
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