October 28, 2006	Saturday	Shawwal 4, 1427

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

LAHORE, Oct 27: Pakistan’s suspended pace bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, being investigated by a three-man Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) tribunal for doping charges, have decided not to challenge the results of their ‘A’ samples besides accepting the procedure adopted in collection of their urine samples.

Barrister Shahid Hamid, heading the probe tribunal, told journalists at the PCB offices on Friday that both Shoaib and Asif had recorded their statements and they had no objections over the procedure adopted for the collection of samples as well as the results.

Shahid, after holding the first formal hearing into the charges against the fast bowlers here on Friday, said the two had also rejected the offer made by the tribunal to test their 'B' samples in a Malaysian lab.

“Though the inquiry will continue, I would like to share with the press that both Shoaib and Asif have no objections to the results of their dope test reports and they are also satisfied over the procedure adopted in collecting their urine samples,” stated Shahid following the marathon nine-hour hearing.

"They have also given their versions before the tribunal which I cannot share with you at this moment," added Shahid.

Earlier, at the hearing which commenced at 9am, Shoaib Akhtar arrived with Dr Nauman Niaz who is pleading his case while Asif recorded his statement without any aid. PCB’s doctor, Sohail Saleem, who took the urine samples of the players, also recorded his statement before the tribunal.

Sohail, disclosing the details, said he had imported 19 bags from a Malaysian laboratory and by Sept 29, the samples of 18 players had been sent. “Only Shoaib’s sample was dispatched later, on Oct 2,” he said.

The first reports of sample results that were received from Malaysian laboratories revealed that 17 tests were negative while two were marked as doubtful. The second report, Dr Sohail said, disclosed that those two tests were positive and they belonged to Shoaib and Asif.

Shahid, who avoided a volley of press queries, said both Shoaib and Asif will again be appearing before the tribunal on Saturday.

Meanwhile, reliable sources added that though Shoaib and Asif agreed with all the procedures and results, they had been trying hard to convince the tribunal that they had done nothing wrong deliberately and were innocent.

The tribunal, which also includes former captain Intikhab Alam and doping expert Dr Waqar Ahmed, is probing the doping case after Shoaib and Asif tested positive for banned performance enhancing steroid nandrolone. It will make recommendations to the PCB and is expected to submit its findings in two weeks.

The positive results prompted Pakistan to withdraw the two pacers from their Champions Trophy squad in India last week.