Pakistan can replace dope cheats for World Cup by Cricket Archive Staff Reporter

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Player:

Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Asif

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DateLine: 8th February 2007

 

Pakistan have been allowed by cricket's world governing body to replace any members of their World Cup squad who fail drug tests to be conducted next week, an official said on Wednesday. The move comes after Pakistani pace duo Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif were banned in November for taking steroids and then controversially cleared on appeal. "The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is conducting dope tests of the 15-man squad to be announced for the World Cup and five reserve players and under International Cricket Council (ICC) rules we have the option to replace any player if he tests positive," PCB director of operations Salim Altaf. Pakistan are due to announce their World Cup squad before the February 13 deadline set by the ICC and are expected to include both Akhtar and Asif. Both tested positive for the steroid nandrolone in tests conducted by the PCB in October last year. A PCB commission banned Akhtar for two years and Asif for one year in November. But a PCB appellate committee lifted the ban in December on the grounds that the players did not take the substances knowingly, a decision challenged by the World Anti-Doping Agency in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland.

 

The CAS Tuesday formed a three-member committee to ascertain whether the case comes under their jurisdiction. Altaf meanwhile defended the PCB's policy of having pre-World Cup dope tests. "We are not concerned if some countries have not done dope tests, it depends on individual countries and we want to abide by the guidelines set by the ICC," said Altaf. Pakistan are currently touring South Africa and return on February 15.