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| December 07, 2006 | Thursday | Ziqa'ad 15, 1427 |
Top ICC official attacks Pakistan over doping ‘inconsistencies’
DUBAI, Dec 6: The Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) decision to lift the doping bans imposed on fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif was heavily criticised by ICC president Percy Sonn on Wednesday.
The head of the International Cricket Council claimed the PCB's stance highlighted inconsistencies in its stance on doping.
Sonn, in a statement on the Dubai-based ICC's website, said: “Cricket has taken significant strides forward in addressing the important issue of drug use in our sport.
“However, this judgement emphasises that much more work needs to be done to educate players and to synchronize our Members' efforts to attain a totally drug-free sport.”He added: “The judgement highlights inconsistencies in the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) anti-doping processes and regulations.
“It is vital that cricket takes heed of the judgment and that the lessons it provides are disseminated amongst all our Members.”A tribunal had banned Akhtar, 31, for two years and Asif, 23, for one year following their positive tests for the banned steroid nandrolone.
But the pair won their appeals against the suspensions on Tuesday.
The PCB's appeals committee concluded the players honestly believed that the nutritional supplements they were taking did not contain banned substances.
And the PCB said it was satisfied with the decision and any reservations from the International Cricket Council (ICC) or World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) would not affect the players.
Despite that assertion from the PCB Wednesday's statement from Sonn left little doubt over the ICC's disquiet at the way the case had been handled.
Sonn said it was now important that each ICC member revisited their own regulations and aligned them both with the ICC's and WADA's Anti-Doping Code.
“The issue of player education is also of vital importance and the ICC will, with WADA's continued assistance, do its utmost to make it easier for our members to provide this service to their players and officials,” Sonn said.
He continued: “The key fact is that it is vital for all our Members to maintain a zero tolerance on the use of drugs in our sport.
“That is the idea behind the ICC's drug-testing regime at all our events since 2002 and our adoption of the WADA Code in July of this year.
“I would now urge all our members to ensure appropriate action is taken so cricket can show just how committed it is to being known as a drug-free sport.”
Meanwhile, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is to take up the cases of fast bowlers Shoaib and Asif with the ICC, senior official Frederic Donze said on Wednesday. “We have decided to take up the matter with the ICC. My personal view is that the decision taken by the Pakistan Cricket Board panel is unreasonable,” Donze was quoted as saying.
Donze said WADA would first look into the decision of the tribunal before making further comments.—AFP
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