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| October 19, 2006 | Thursday | Ramazan 25, 1427 |
Action against Shoaib, Asif after tribunal report, says Nasim
KARACHI, Oct 18: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) named a three-man tribunal on Wednesday for conducting probe into the recent doping charges against fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif.
“Former Test captain Intikhab Alam, renowned lawyer and ex-Punjab Governor Shahid Hamid and a prominent specialist with doping expertise will probe the charges against the two bowlers starting within a week’s time,” PCB chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf told a crowded press conference at the National Stadium.
The specialist’s name for the tribunal will be announced on Thursday.
Both Shoaib Akhtar and Asif were sent home from the Champions Trophy in India on Monday after testing positive for the banned steroid nandrolone.
Nasim, flanked by Director Cricket Operation Saleem Altaf and chief selector Wasim Bari, said no stone will be left unturned by the authorities in reaching the bottom of the controversy that rocked Pakistan cricket on the eve of their campaign at the mega event in India.
“We will take action after the overall findings and the recommendations of the tribunal are presented before us,” said Nasim. “But we should be very clear about one thing, that the responsibility is on the alleged offenders to prove their innocence because it is an individual act,” he said.
The PCB chief said contrary to the reports published earlier regarding the second samples of the two players being available, the results of 'B' samples were still awaited from laboratories in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
“Whatever the results, we will allow the players to see their reports. We will also share the evidence with them and have already conveyed to them about the implications of a failed test,” Nasim said.
He, however, did not mince any words when asked about the possibility of an accidental in-take of the substance by the fast bowlers.
“I am a doctor myself and know the intricacies of doping,” he said. “A minimum in-take of two nanograms of a substance results in positive test. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has approved this level because they are confident that when the players take high protein diets they come under two nanograms which is below the offence levels.”
Commenting on the infamous row at The Oval in August, Nasim said that Darrell Hair was the main villain of the whole controversy and Pakistan is making a strong case with the ICC for not assigning anymore games to the Aussie umpire. “Make no mistake, we are pursing the Hair case with full efforts and are also contesting the compensation issue raised by the ECB on grounds that it was a cause and effect case and the root cause was Darrell Hair.”
Nasim was candid in his reply on the Inzamam ban and why the PCB chose not to appeal against it.
“While the tampering charges are totally baseless, skipper Inzamam is definitely responsible for not leading his side onto the field in a specific time which resulted in the four-match ban from the ICC,” explained Nasim, who is also an advisor to President Musharraf. “An appeal against the ban would only have increased its duration because it was the minimum punishment awarded by the ICC.”
Laying out his policies for team selection, the PCB chief insisted that a stint in domestic circuit will be made mandatory for all Pakistan players and nobody should consider himself as automatic selection.
“We intend to reorganise domestic cricket, make it more competitive so that only the best could qualify for the national eleven,” Nasim said.
Addressing a number of former players present on the occasion including Jalaluddin, Shoaib Mohammad, Taslim Arif and Moin Khan, Nasim said all of them went through the grind to make national grade and it showed in their performance.
“It was a matter of pride to play the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy at one time because it was so difficult to qualify for the tournament. When I played my cricket in Peshawar, it was such a challenge to play at the first class level. And only the battle-hardened ones would make it to the national eleven. Sadly, it is not the case today. The domestic games need to be reorganised for better results.”
Reiterating PCB’s resolve to impose discipline in the team as well in the working of the board, Nasim said he will not allow one-man shows which have harmed Pakistan cricket in the past. “I strongly believe in code of conduct and transparency of things and will ensure them through a policy of good governance.”
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