India don’t give it to ICC: Ex-Pakistan batter sparks fresh controversy, targets BCCI over doping tests

NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan opener Ahmed Shehzad has ignited a fresh firestorm in the middle of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 by alleging that the Board of Control for Cricket in India blocks the International Cricket Council from conducting independent doping tests on its players. Speaking on a Pakistani television channel after India sealed their semi-final berth, Shehzad claimed that India’s cricketers are vetted only by their own board, not by the global body that polices the rest of the world.

“ICC does the dope tests for the entire world except India,” Shehzad said during the broadcast. “Their own board does it for them. Sir, they don’t give it to the ICC; they say we have our own board, which would determine. The Indians have said that we don’t trust any technology outside, we have good technology, so we would do the dope test for our own players.”

The remarks have landed at a sensitive moment, with the tournament entering its knockout phase and every administrative subplot amplified by cross-border rivalry. While Shehzad offered no documentary evidence, his comments have revived long-running questions about whether cricket’s wealthiest board enjoys procedural autonomy that other Full Member nations do not.

Under the current anti-doping architecture, international cricket is bound by the World Anti-Doping Agency code, a protocol the ICC formally adopted in 2006. WADA-accredited officers can arrive unannounced at matches or training venues, collect blood or urine samples, and split them into A and B bottles. If the A-sample flags a prohibited substance, the player is provisionally suspended and may ask for the B-sample to be analysed. A confirmed adverse finding can lead to lengthy bans.

India, however, routes its testing through the National Anti-Doping Agency, an arrangement the BCCI accepted in 2019 after years of operating an independent programme. Because NADA itself is WADA-compliant, Indian cricketers are technically scrutinised under the same global standards that apply to other nations. The ICC retains the right to test any player at its events, but Shehzad’s allegation implies that the world body is either unwilling or unable to exercise that right when it comes to the Indian squad outside of global tournaments.

The ICC has not issued an immediate response to Shehzad’s statements, and the BCCI has maintained its customary silence on bilateral media controversies. With India preparing for a high-stakes semi-final, the focus will now shift to whether the governing body clarifies its testing protocols or allows the row to drift once the final ball is bowled.

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