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Indian cricketers undergo dope test in NZ
By Ashish Shukla in Auckland
January 10, 2003 18:39 IST

Members of the Indian squad for the cricket World Cup underwent a dope test for the first time ever on Friday.

A unit of the New Zealand Drug Testing Agency, a government-backed institute, arrived at the team hotel in Auckland and took urine samples of all cricketers.

According to sources, the urine samples were sent to Sydney, where an International Olympic Committee-approved laboratory will examine them before conveying the results in 10 days.

The results of the test, according to the sources, will only be conveyed to the team's physio, Andrew Leipus.

"The entire methodology... was impressive; the way they went about the task, carefully putting the stickers, rechecking it and then winding up the operation," said one player.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India gave a go-ahead for conducting the test as a precautionary measure, since dope testing will be mandatory during the World Cup because of government regulations in South Africa.

The BCCI will bear the cost of the test.

Only four countries -- Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and England -- have a doping policy.

Ashish Shukla in Auckland
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