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| November 10, 2006 | Friday | Shawwal 17, 1427 |
Doping Commission’s bias showed in probe: Shoaib
LAHORE, Nov 9: Suspended fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar on Thursday expressed his concern over the attitude of the PCB Anti-doping Commission and termed it as being biased against him while challenging the credibility of former Test captain Intikhab Alam, a member of the commission.
Shoaib, facing a two-year ban after being found guilty of using banned steroid nandrolone before the ICC Champions Trophy in India, was commenting on the issue for the first time since the doping commission’s ban verdict on Nov 1.
The commission also imposed a one-year ban on Shoaib’s pace partner Mohammad Asif for a similar offence.
Shoaib, talking to reporters, said the commission conducted the hearing in a manner which suggested it had already made up its mind to punish him. “ It was not a fair trial,” said Shoaib.
“They should have considered my medical condition. I have gone through dozens of operations and have taken hundreds of medicines to heal up injuries. I am not a doctor and don’t know much about medicines.
“There are certain herbal medicines which are not banned and I have been taking them. Tennis player Greg Rusedski was cleared even though his levels of nandrolone were higher than mine.”
"I would also challenge the credibility of Intikhab since he had indicated to me during the hearing that I will be acquitted," he said.
Shoaib further claimed that doping expert, Dr Waqar Ahmed, who was a member of the commission, had suggested that in such cases the level of nandrolone could have been 20ng/ml and a relief should be given to him (Shoaib).
The level of nandrolone in Shoaib's urine sample was found to be 14.6ng/ml while only 2ng/ml is tolerable according to the World Anti-doping Association (WADA) rules.
Shoaib said he was innocent and he would prove it before the PCB Appeal Committee, headed by Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim. The committee will review the appeals of both Shoaib and Asif within the next couple of days.
When contacted by Dawn, Intikhab denied the charges levelled against him by Shoaib and said he and all the members of the commission did their job with honesty.
"Shoaib has his own point of view and I have my own. I have no grudge against him and the commission gave every available opportunity to Shoaib to prove his innocence," Intikhab said.
Intikhab also denied Shoaib's claim that Dr Waqar suggested to the bowler that there was a possibility of him getting some kind of relief.
Intikhab said he did not make any statement about Shoaib's life style and what had been published in the national press was a written statement submitted to the commission by the bowler's lawyer, Dr Nauman Niaz.
Shoaib went on to say that he had served the country to the best of his ability and had won quite a few matches for Pakistan, but the treatment meted out to him by the commission during the proceeding was insulting.
He claimed the commission gave more respect to coach Bob Woolmer, trainer Murray Stevenson and physiotherapist Darren Lifson, who also appeared before it.
Denying news reports that he deliberately delayed submitting the urine sample, Shoaib said: "I was ready to give the sample on Sept 25, but PCB Dr Sohail Saleem was busy in dealing with a serious family problem," he said.
He said he told the commission that supplements available on the market should be banned before he was stopped from playing.
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