Sri Lanka Cricket has introduced random alcohol and drug testing for national players and tightened its monitoring of fitness and diet, Transformation Committee member Sidath Wettimuny said at a press conference on Tuesday.
Wettimuny said the testing had been brought in to improve discipline and to keep players focused on the game, the Daily Mirror reported. He said discussions with players had also covered smoking, alcohol consumption, nutrition and professional conduct.
The fitness regime
Players now undergo weekly skinfold measurements to track body fat, and each receives an individual fitness programme.
Wettimuny identified nutrition as a major concern, saying players were not following the diets required for professional cricket. SLC has appointed a dietician to monitor players’ meals both in Sri Lanka and on overseas tours, and dietary requirements are now communicated directly to the team’s hotels.
Context
Wettimuny sits on the SLC Transformation Committee, the body appointed to overhaul the administration of the sport. Its interim chairman, Eran Wickramaratne, told LankaNewz this month that “indiscipline will not be tolerated” as he set out proposals for a new constitution, a hybrid board and term limits. The Sri Lanka Cricket Bill, gazetted on 29 September, would place the board on a statutory footing with 14 directors and reporting obligations to Parliament.
The measures announced on Tuesday are internal disciplinary and welfare controls set by the board. They are separate from anti-doping testing conducted under World Anti-Doping Agency rules, which governs prohibited performance-enhancing substances and operates through the international testing system rather than through SLC.
Not reported
The Daily Mirror’s filing does not say when random testing began, which squads or levels it applies to, who administers the tests, or what sanction follows a positive result. It gives no player or players’ association response, and does not say whether the policy extends to domestic or age-group cricket. No other verified newsroom had filed on the press conference at the time of writing.
