March 01, 2007	Thursday	Safar 11, 1428

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KARACHI, Feb 28: Former captain Javed Miandad has told Pakistan to stop waiting for Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif and go into next month's World Cup without the two pace bowlers.

“With so much uncertainty over their availability, I think it is best Pakistan forgot about them and devised a new strategy with more spinners,” Miandad said on Wednesday.

“Why waste time on something which is not available?”

Shoaib and Asif are receiving treatment in London for their knee and elbow injuries and will not be leaving for the Caribbean on Thursday with the rest of the squad.

The pair have also yet to take the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) official doping tests, said media manager Pervez Mir.

“Asif will return on Thursday and Shoaib on Friday and in the next few days they will have to pass these tests,” said Pervez.

Shoaib and Asif tested positive last October for the banned substance nandrolone but a PCB appeals panel cleared them of a doping offence and set aside their bans in December.

Pakistan have also yet to receive permission from the World Cup technical committee to replace injured all-rounder Abdul Razzaq with Azhar Mahmood.

A veteran of six World Cups, Miandad said Pakistan would fare better in the competition with two specialist spinners.

“They have leg-spinner Danish Kaneria in the side and they should also include left-armer Abdur Rehman,” he said.

“They can be threatening on slow West Indian pitches.”

Meanwhile, captain Inzamam-ul-Haq and all-rounder Shahid Afridi have both passed their pre-World Cup dope tests. Their reports came back on Wednesday.

Pakistan said on Friday that 11 of the 15-member squad and seven reserves had also tested negative.

Rehman played recently in South Africa but has not been picked in the 15-man World Cup squad.—Agencies