February 26, 2007	Monday	Safar 8, 1428

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LAHORE, Feb 25: Controversial fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar left for London late Saturday night to consult the specialists over his knee problem which will enable him to confirm his availability for the World Cup.

Fellow pacer Mohammad Asif, who is suffering with elbow injury, was to leave for London late on Sunday.

Though the official version of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is that both the pacers are suffering from knee and elbow injuries, sources said they were making efforts to remove the traces of banned substance nandrolone from their systems before providing the urine samples to the PCB for dope tests.

All the other 20 players, including the 13 selected in the World Cup squad and seven reserves, have now given the samples for dope testing.

Eighteen of them have been cleared while results of skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq and Shahid Afridi’s tests are awaited by the PCB.

Both Shoaib and Asif have been employing delaying tactics for the mandatory tests as they are faced with the grim possibility of life ban from the ICC in case they test positive again.

Meanwhile, the national selection committee is set to meet here on Tuesday to take a decision about the two bowlers. The Pakistan team is to leave for the West Indies on March 1.