Hope for Akhtar, Sami; Dope control expert

Lahore, Oct 16 (UNI) Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami may finally have a reason to smile as they battle doping charges after Asian Federation of Sports Medicine (AFSM) and the Sports Medicine Association of Pakistan (SMAP) President Danish Zaheer claimed that doping control experts can help them clear their names.

In an interview to Voice of America (VOA), Dr Zaheer said the experts can help Shoaib and Asif in fighting their case if it turns out that the two bowlers had bodies that naturally produced the banned substance beyond prescribed limits.

Dr Zaheer promised the duo of assistance from SMAP as they battled to save their careers after shocking revelations of them testing positive for Nandrolone during the ICC Champions Trophy in India. Both the players were withdrawn from the team after the damaging reports came out.

Dr Pervez Rizvay, Secretary SMAP told VOA that SMAP, if asked, can render its services to the Pakistan Cricket Board and the two players to defend their case.

''This is the substance that was used by Canadian athlete Ben Johnson and is widely abused by athletes specially by body builders in injectable form,'' Dr Zaheer said.

''It is normally taken under medical supervision as it is used in injectable form but recently theories have also emerged suggesting that some time this substance is naturally produced in the athletes' body,'' he added.

''Both Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif through their counsel or doping expert, will now have to plead their case in a manner that both players have such bodies that naturally produce such banned substances more than the prescribed quantity, that is a possible theory,'' he explained.

Dr Zaheer said a good doping expert can point out the loopholes in the doping conducting systems that may also be beneficial for both the players.

According to the World Anti Doping Agency any amount more than two Nanograms is liable to be sanctioned but, Dr Zaheer said, ''Some players may naturally produce up to 37 Nanograms of this substance.'' UNI XC PM AY BS1921