ACB is first to adopt policy

The Australian Cricket Board (ACB) will follow moves by other cricketing nations and institute racial and drug testing policies.

ACB chief executive Malcolm Speed said the board would lobby the International Cricket Council for the introduction of codes dealing with racial and religious vilification, and drug use.

Australia yesterday became the first cricketing nation to adopt a racial and religious vilification policy and joined South Africa and England by installing a drugs policy.

Speed said both ACB initiatives would take effect from next month. Under the drug code, all first-class cricketers in Australia will be liable to random tests for performance-enhancing drugs. Social drugs such as marijuana will be excluded from the testing regime.

Drug cheats faced a two-year ban from the sport and testing would be held out of season as well as during competitions.

The overall number of tests a year had yet to be decided under the code, based on the anti-doping policy of the government-funded Australian Sports Commission.

Under the racial and religious vilification code, players found guilty of an offence can be fined or suspended, the punishment to be determined by the ACB.