A new drug-law that comes into affect on Thursday means that Bermuda's cricketers can now be tested at random 365 days of the year.

Under the new World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code adopted by the International Cricket Council (ICC) players will also have to let the Bermuda Council for Drugs and Sport (BCDS), the body responsible for testing on the Island, know their whereabouts every day.

However Bermuda Cricket Board already has a fairly rigorous testing policy in place, and cricket development director Arnold Manders doesn't believe the changes will greatly affect the national squad.

"It might possibly mean more testing, but our cricketers already know that they can be tested at any time so it won't change too much for us," said Manders.

"We already have a good random drug-testing plan in place, this just makes it more formal.

"It will probably affect other countries more than us. When we went to the Under-19 World Cup, they were in awe of our drug testing.

"Our players know that the minute they are named in a squad they are going to be tested. Other countries only do it for tournaments, and even then it comes down to if you are selected for a test or not.

"If anything it will cause more problems for the Bermuda Council for Drugs and Sport (BCDS), they struggle to test us sometimes as it is, so it might mean the Government hiring some more employees for them. We have our hands full as it is now anyway.

"We have been quite strict about our drug testing for a while, but that means that we can't put our strongest cricket or football teams because players know what it means once they are selected and some don't want to make that commitment."

Until now, dope tests have been conducted only in ICC events such as the World Cup. The sport's governing body began testing at its events in 2002 and became a WADA signatory two years ago.

"Critically, it also means that international cricketers must be available for testing at any time, any day of the year, whether it is at ICC events, bilateral series or even out of competition," the ICC said in a statement on Monday.

All full ICC members and the top six associates - Bermuda, Ireland, Scotland, Kenya, Canada, and Holland, have already agreed to have WADA-compliant codes by July 1.

The ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat was confident the code would help tighten anti-doping in the sport although cricket is not considered by most observers to have a major drugs problem.

"This code means it has just become even harder for drug cheats to get away with doping practices and it is part of our continued battle to ensure fair competition for all," he said.

Although no player has tested positive in ICC events, there have been several high profile cases involving cricketers.

Retired Australian spinner Shane Warne was withdrawn from the 2003 World Cup in South Africa after testing positive for a diuretic in a domestic check in the build-up to the event.

Pakistan fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone in 2006 in out-of-competition tests conducted by the Pakistan board before the Champions Trophy in India.

They were initially banned for two years but the suspension was overturned by the board's anti-doping appeals committee, which said the pair had argued they had taken supplements in the belief they did not contain prohibited substances.