INDIA: CRICKET - Pakistan are sending home fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif from the Champions Trophy tournament in India after the pair tested positive for nandrolone; press conferences

Pakistan are sending home fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif from the Champions Trophy in India after the pair tested positive for nandrolone. The players will leave India later on Monday (October 16), the eve of the team's opening match against Sri Lanka, after returning positive results for the performance-enhancing steroid. The tests were carried out by the Pakistan Cricket Board before the Champions Trophy began and both cricketers face bans of up to two years if a second test confirms the positive result. "In accordance with the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) Anti-Doping policy, the Pakistan Cricket Board had arranged to test 19 players prior to the Champions Trophy 2006 from WADA accredited laboratory in Malaysia. Two of our players, namely Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammed Asif have tested positive for Nandrolone, which is a banned anabolic steroid, as per the preliminary test. The PCB has asked for reconfirmation of test from the Malaysian Laboratory and the results are expected by tomorrow. PCB has decided to withdraw the two players from the ICC Champions Trophy immediately. The players will return back on the first available flight," Talat Ali, team manager of the Pakistan Cricket Team said. Shoaib and Asif's recall is the biggest doping issue to cloud cricket since Australia spinner Shane Warne was sent home before the World Cup in 2003 and banned for one year for testing positive for a diuretic. Addressing reporters in Jaipur after the team's scheduled practice had been cancelled, Pakistan's coach Bob Woolmer said the episode, following two months of crisis for the Pakistan team had left him dazed. "Obviously, Younis and I are very disappointed that this had happened, but that's all we can say and the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) will be making a full statement," said Woolmer. Captain Younis Khan put on a brave face. "I have always supported my players and this can happen to anyone. They were injured and they might not have known what drugs they were taking. I have always stood by them whether they were in form or not," Khan said. Khan added he was confident his team would overcome the loss of its strike bowlers. "Not exactly, we will not be making any changes in our plans. We came with the intention of playing good cricket whether we win or lose. We just want to play good cricket. God willing and if luck is on our side, the way the wickets are shaping up, and even if you see previous matches anything can happen. Whether it is Shoaib or Rana or Rao, everybody is on an equal footing here," he said. Pakistan will be left with only 12 players for Tuesday's Group B fixture against Sri Lanka in Jaipur. "I'm pretty confident that the team will take any adversity in their stride and they will rise to the occasion and they will play good cricket tomorrow. We have to put these issues behind us as we have all the other issues and get on with the cricket, that's our job. That's what we are paid to do and that's what we have to do. So we will make it very clear that we're going to come out there and fight very hard. It's very important for us to get two points against Sri Lanka tomorrow," Woolmer said. Woolmer said he initiated the tests before coming into the tournament to avoid any such problems during the event. Under the ICC anti-doping policy, two players from each of the 10 participating teams will be randomly tested during seven of the 21 games at the tournament ending on Nov. 5. Any player found guilty could be suspended up to two years for a first-time offence and a life ban could be imposed for a second violation. The PCB has asked the ICC to allow two replacements for the disgraced players. The team management in India has asked for a pacer and spinner and Altaf said Mohammad Sami, Shahid Nazir and Yasir Arafat were being discussed as possible replacements. Pakistan cricket is still reeling from a ball-tampering fiasco which caused the team to forfeit the recent fourth test against England at The Oval, controversy over the captaincy and the resignation of board chairman Shaharyar Khan. The Champions Trophy involves all the test-playing nations and is second only to the World Cup in importance.

ITN Source | October 17, 2006

Tags:. .disappointed. .cancelled. .withdraw. .violation. .luck