PAKISTAN: CRICKET - Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar arrives in Lahore from the Champions Trophy tournament in India after he tested positive for nandrolone

Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar arrived in Lahore on Monday (October 16) from the Champions Trophy in India after he and fellow pace bowler Mohammad Asif tested positive for nandrolone. Shoaib and Mohammd Asif flew home from India after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) withdrew them from the Champions Trophy. Akhtar avoided speaking to the media as he left Lahore international airport. Akhtar denied on Monday knowingly taking any performance-enhancing drugs after testing positive for the anabolic steroid nandrolone. "I want to assure everyone that I am innocent of doing anything I shouldn't have," Akhtar told the bigstarcricket.com Web site. "All I can say at this stage is that I have not knowingly taken any performance-enhancing drugs and would never cheat my team mates or opponents in this way." Shoaib and Asif will face an inquiry from the PCB after returning home and under International Cricket Council (ICC) anti-doping regulations could be banned for two-years for a first violation. Akhtar said he had always played the game fair and given 100 percent and never felt the need to take any drugs to help his bowling.

ITN Source | October 17, 2006

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