In a major jolt to Pakistan's World Cup hopes, fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar wastoday banned for two years and fellow pacer Mohammad Asif for one year followingtheir positive tests for banned drugs.
The two-year ban by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) could effectively meanthe end of 31-year-old Shoaib's international career.
In a lengthy statement, a three-member drug inquiry tribunal of the PCB saidit had heard both players and medical experts in its deliberations and reachedthe conclusion that both players had committed a doping offence.
"They have been informed of the decision and have the right to appealfor a review of the bans," the tribunal said in Lahore.
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The bans are effective from October 15 on both and they cannot participate inany level of cricket organized by the PCB or international competitions.
The bans mean both are out of the World Cup to be held in the West Indies inMarch-April, and it is also a probable end to Shoaib's controversial careerunless his appeal is upheld.
"We are not convinced that there was no fault of negligence on part ofShoaib Akhtar. We hold he has committed a doping offence as defined in clause4.1 of the PCB anti-doping regulations," the statement read.
"The case of Mohammad Asif, 23, is somewhat different with regard to hislevel of responsibility. He only became a regular member of the team in March2006.
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"There is some doubt whether he was even handed over the WADA list ofprohibited substances and WADA athletic guide prior to his departure for Englandin August 2006," the statement signed by all three members, Intikhab Alam,barrister Shahid Hamid and Dr Waqar Ahmed, said.
The players and the Board have seven-days to appeal the decision, a PCBofficial said.
Shoaib and Asif were called back from the Champions Trophy in India aftertesting positive for a banned steroid nandrolone during out of competition testscarried out by the PCB before the tournament.
Shoaib, who made his Test against the West Indies in 1997, has picked 165wickets in 42 Tests at an average of 23.33.
The 'Rawalpindi Express' has had a checkered career.
A sight to watch with his chest-pumping run-up and sling-shot action, Shoaibwas a delight to the fans and a terror to the batsmen.
The right-arm pacer is one of the three express fast bowlers in contemporarycricket to measure 100 mph with his deliveries, Australia's Brett Lee and NewZealander Shane Bond being the other two.
But the speed demon also had trouble with his action which was found to beillegal in 2000.
The tribunal made a few scathing comments on the 31-year old fast bowler. Thetribunal said it found it difficult to believe that Shoaib didn't commit anynegligence or fault in taking medicines and that he had committed a dopingoffence under clause 4.1 of the PCB anti-doping regulation which is a signatoryto the World anti-doping agency.
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It also noted that both players were provided a list of banned subtances inUrdu language so they could not claim not to have read them.
"Our observations do not, however, affect our judgement that ShoaibAkhtar has been unable to establish that he did not know or suspect and couldnot reasonably have known or suspected that he had been using prohibitedmedicines," the statement said.
"We are not convinced that there was no fault of negligence on part ofShoaib Akhtar. We hold he has committed a doping offence as defined in clause4.1 of the PCB anti-doping regulations."
The tribunal noted that 14.06 ng/ml of nandrolone had been found in Shoaib'surine sample.
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The panel also said it was not entirely satisfied with the manner in whichthe Pakistan Board had advised and cautioned its players with regard toprohibited substances, the adverse effects of their use and the anti-dopingregulations.
"We have found much passing the buck between the various PCB officialswho have appeared before us. We are firmly of the view the PCB needs to have aqualified sports doctor whenever the team is on tour," it said.
PTI
