This is one piece of news that the Indian cricketers will certainly take notice of.
This is one piece of news that the Indian cricketers will certainly take notice of.The Rugby Football Union, yesterday suspended three former Bath players, Michael Lipman, Alex Crockett and Andrew Higgins for nine months after they failed to submit to two drugs.
The Indian cricketers and the Board of Control for Cricket in India are currently involved in a tiff with the International Cricket Council and the World Anti Doping Agency.
Can't be secretiveWADA rules state that a player must disclose its whereabouts for each day of the year for random dope-testing. The Indian players have objected to this clause. WADA rules also state that a player will have to face suspension if he fails to be unavailable for testing on three occasions.
The punishments to the three rugby players were handed down by the RFU's disciplinary panel, chaired by Judge Jeff Blackett.
The three players all of whom played over 100 games each for Bathu00a0were accused of conduct prejudicial to the interests of the game on a number of charges, including "taking prohibited substances and wilful refusal to take a drugs test".
Solicitor Richard Mallett, acting on behalf of Lipman, Crockett and Higgins, said the trio were "absolutely devastated" by the verdict.
He added: "We would like to emphasise that the charges against the players that they had actually taken cocaine were dismissed at the beginning of the proceedings.
"They are of course considering their position and feel that it would be wholly inappropriate to comment further at this stage."
