ICC Enters WADA’s Top Tier as India Remains Under Strict Anti-Doping Scrutiny

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has upgraded the International Cricket Council (ICC) from Tier 2 to Tier 1 under its prioritisation policy, citing cricket’s inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The revised classification will come into effect on January 1, 2027.

The ICC’s elevation places cricket among the highest-priority international sports federations under WADA’s compliance monitoring framework. Cricket will return to the Olympic programme after more than a century at the Los Angeles Games.

WADA said the classification of international federations is based on their inclusion in the Olympic or Paralympic programmes and the combined Minimum Levels of Analysis (MLAs) prescribed under its Technical Document for Sport Specific Analysis. These requirements determine the proportion of eligible tests that must be conducted on international-level athletes by anti-doping organisations.

Meanwhile, India remains in Tier 1 alongside China and the United States, among 50 countries subject to the highest level of scrutiny. India has consistently ranked among the major countries with the highest numbers of reported doping violations over the past three years.

Country classifications are determined by population size and sporting performance at senior-level international competitions over the previous four years. WADA considers top-eight finishes at events such as the Olympics and World Championships, assigning greater weight to higher finishes and more recent competitions. Regional and continental events are excluded to ensure fair comparisons.

Tier 1 international federations must meet stringent compliance requirements, including timely sample collection, appropriate investigation of whereabouts failures and potential anti-doping violations, and fair hearings conducted by impartial, operationally independent panels.

Under the International Standard for Code Compliance by Signatories, critical deficiencies involving testing, results management and Therapeutic Use Exemptions must be corrected within three months. High-priority requirements carry a six-month deadline, while general data-privacy requirements must be addressed within nine months.

Other prominent Tier 1 organisations include FIFA, World Athletics, the International Tennis Federation, the International Cycling Union and the Badminton World Federation. World Boxing has entered the top tier following provisional recognition by the International Olympic Committee, while the World Squash Federation has been promoted from Tier 3 to Tier 1.

Among major event organisers, the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee remain in Tier 1. Commonwealth Sport has been downgraded from Tier 2 to Tier 3, while the Asian Paralympic Committee has entered Tier 2.

WADA said the system aims to direct resources towards sports and countries with the greatest perceived doping risks. The agency will update the classifications every two years, providing signatories at least two months’ notice of changes.