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KARACHI, July 31: The Pakistan Cricket Board has carried out doping tests on controversial fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif in the run up to September's inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa.
“All the players who are in the training camp for the event have been tested with the exception of Younis Khan, Yasir Arafat and Danish Kaneria, who are playing in England,” team manager Talat Ali told reporters on Tuesday.
Shoaib and Asif caused widespread embarrassment to Pakistan cricket last October when they tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone in out-of-competition tests conducted by the PCB before the Champions Trophy in India.
Both were initially banned by a PCB drugs inquiry panel but then cleared by an appeals committee.
The board accepted their exoneration on the grounds that they were tried under its own anti-doping regulations, which at that time were not World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) compliant.
The final squad for the Twenty20 World Championship is expected to be announced after the results are received.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has failed to strictly adhere to the World Anti Doping Association’s (WADA) code during the collection of urine sample of the Pakistan players ahead of the Twenty20 World Championship to be played in South Africa in September.
Highly placed sources in the PCB, on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the samples of some players were taken on Monday evening while some were asked to appear on Tuesday morning, allowing the players a 12 to 15 hours notice which is against the WADA Code. As per WADA code, the athlete must present himself for testing within one hour after being notified in writing.
The WADA Code reads: “The players have a maximum of one hour to present themselves at the Doping Control Room for testing.
During this time, they will be free to attend any post-match commitments, such as a presentation or press conference, but they will always be accompanied (albeit discreetly) by sampling officers, including inside the dressing rooms. All team managers and the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit are aware of these protocols.”
Dr. Danish Zaheer, a WADA accredited Anti-Doping Officer told Voice of America that if the one-hour notice protocol has been done away with, WADA can challenge the collection of players’ samples.
The sources also claimed that few Pakistan team players were privately dope tested to ensure they were clean and to avoid any embarrassment during the official testing.—Agencies
