Shoaib, Asif banned for doping, to miss World Cup

Lahore, Nov 1 (UNI) Pakistan today banned Shoaib Akhtar for two years and fellow pacer Mohammad Asif for one year for flunking dope tests, which rules out both the cricketers from next year's World Cup.

The three-member Pakistan Cricket Board tribunal, headed by barrister Shahid Hamid and also including former captain Intikhab Alam and medical expert Waqar Ahmed, said in a statement that both the players have been informed about the ban which would be effective from October 15.

The cricketer, however, have the right to appeal against the ban, it added.

The tribunal met coach Bob Woolmer, physiotherapist Darren Lifsun and trainer Murray Stevenson today to hear their version of the story before arriving at the decision.

In Friday's hearing, both the players had accepted the dope results and decided not to challenge the result of their positive test for Nandrolone carried out in a World Anti-Doping Agency laboratory in Kuala Lumpur. Sports medicine experts Dr Javed Akram and Dr Syed Abass Raza also attended the hearing to assist the tribunal.

According to the release, Asif, in his recorded statement, said he had been given an injection for his elbow injury which did not work and that maybe the reason for failing drug test while Shoaib hinted it could be his high protein diet and protein supplements.

''In the totality of the circumstances we are not convinced that there was no fault or negligence on the part of Shoaib Akhtar or even no significant fault or negligence. We hold that he has committed a doping offence as defined in clause 4.1 of the PCB Anti Doping Regulations...Consequently in accordance with clause 7.1 read with clause 8.1 of the PCB Anti Doping Regulations we impose the following bans on Shoaib Akhtar for a period of two years commencing 15th October 2006 viz the date on which he was suspended by the PCB,'' the statement read.

''The case of Mohammad Asif is on a somewhat different footing with regard to the level of his responsibility...keeping in view the totality of the circumstances we are of the view that it is one of no significant fault or negligence and that there are exceptional circumstances noted by us hereinabove that justify a more lenient view than that taken by us in Shoaib Akhtar's case. Accordingly we have decided to impose a one year ban on Mohammad Asif with effect from 15.10.2006,'' it added.

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