The Spanish government will on Friday approve of a measure to make Spanish anti-doping laws meet the standards of the World Anti-Doping Code, with the goal of WADA raising its sanctions against Spain. Spanish Anti-Doping Agency (AEPSAD) Dir Enrique Gómez Bastida "confirmed the news" (MUNDO DEPORTIVO, 2/15).
As the countdown for the 10th player auction of the Indian Premier League starts, the eight franchises have "swung into action to fill the vacant slots." After "pruning the initial list of 799 players, the franchises have settled for the final 351." The list features 122 Indians, including 23 capped players. One of the "startling features" of the list is Indian cricketers' "preference of a lower base price to attract bids." Besides Ishant Sharma -- the only Indian among seven "marquee players" with a base price of Rs 2 crore ($301,000) -- "none of the other Indians have opted for an eight-digit base price" (THE HINDU, 2/15).
The Pakistan Super League will give franchises the "option to draft new players" in case contracted int'l players opt out of the March 5 final in Lahore "due to security reasons." PSL Chair Najam Sethi said, "On February 22 we will do a new draft. We will put a formula in front of all the franchises and foreign players to let us know who will play the final in Lahore and who will not come." The Pakistan Cricket Board promised to "provide top-level security" to the PSL finalists at Gaddafi Stadium. But "a bomber targeting police escorting a rally by pharmacists on Monday killed 13 people in Lahore, casting fresh doubt over whether foreign cricketers will risk a return to playing in Pakistan" (THE NATIONAL, 2/15).
Melbourne lawyer Jackson Taylor "lodged a writ" against outgoing Australian Football League Chair Mike Fitzpatrick and CEO Gillon McLachlan, alleging "acts of deceptive or misleading conduct during Essendon's supplements saga." Taylor has lodged papers in the Victorian Supreme Court, and now awaits an AFL response. The statement of claim includes allegations "the AFL deceived the public" over both the integrity of the joint investigation conducted by the AFL and the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority and the AFL's responsibilities for player health and safety (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 2/15).
