The World Anti-Doping Agency claims it has found "abnormally high amounts of thymosin beta 4" -- the substance Australian Football League side Essendon players are accused of taking -- "in the frozen urine samples" of two players from the Dons' '12 list. In a piece of new evidence outlined since the AFL tribunal cleared the 34 current and ex-players of receiving thymosin beta 4, WADA said the samples from two players "suggest external administration and argued that this result confirmed the substance sports scientist Stephen Dank injected into players was TB4" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 8/5). ... The nature of Indian cricket pitches "almost always finds place in the list of concerns." With the Board of Control for Cricket in India staring at a "busy" int'l calendar, it has "carefully chalked out a plan to ensure that the pitches for international matches don't get affected by the deluge of domestic matches." For one, the BCCI is "worried about captains of state teams tinkering with the nature of the pitch to gain home advantage." A top BCCI official said, "It is certainly a matter of concern. The board has set a guideline for the local curators." The official also said that "special emphasis has been put on providing enough rest to the venues" hosting int'l games during a domestic season that will see around 900 matches being played (TIMES OF INDIA, 8/4).
