Players familiar with WADA code -WIPA

The West Indies Players Association (WIPA) has issued a statement saying that the organisation has, over the years, facilitated workshops aimed at informing members of the demands of the World Anti-Doping Association (WADA) code of conduct.

According to the media statement, released on the same day it was announced that West Indies all-rounder AndrE Russell had violated the WADA code, WIPA has held several workshops across the six major Caribbean cricketing territories.

"The West Indies Players' Association through our Player Development Workshops has imparted knowledge in fifteen different workshops across the region over the last two years," the statement said.

"Our Player Resource Officers, (P.R.Os.) Have facilitated these workshops with the six franchises in the WICB Professional Cricket League from its inception in 2014.

"One of the main items covered in the fifteen workshops is the World Anti-Doping Code."

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The statement, which also stated that WIPA remained committed to the continuous training and development of its members, also outlined that its player resource officers also used the opportunities to warn players about potential repercussions.

"WIPA's P.R.Os. would have explained in full detail the different mandatory filings that are expected of each athlete and the repercussions of failing to correctly complete the said required filings," it stated.

One of the most sought-after players of Twenty20 cricket globally, Russell faces the prospect of a two-year ban after missing three mandatory "out-of-competition" or "whereabouts" drug tests over a one-year period.

The drug tests were to be carried out by the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission.

To facilitate testing, athletes are to provide local authorities with a timetable of one hour per day as it relates to their whereabouts, according to WADA.