August 05, 2007	Sunday	Rajab 20, 1428

KARACHI, Aug 4: Pacemen Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, who returned positive dope tests last year, were among a batch of Pakistan cricketers to clear their latest screens, an official said on Saturday.

“Shoaib and Asif are among 26 players who have cleared these tests for which we asked urgent reports from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accredited laboratory in Malaysia,” PCB director of communications Dr Ahsan Malik said.

The tests were conducted on Monday and Tuesday.

Shoaib and Asif were the focus of attention when the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decided to conduct these tests ahead of the Twenty20 World Cup to be held in September in South Africa.

The new-ball partners tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone in tests conducted internally in Pakistan before the ICC Champions Trophy last year. They were withdrawn from the Pakistan team for the tournament.

A PCB doping tribunal banned Shoaib for two years and Asif for one year, but the bans were controversially overturned by an internal tribunal on appeal.

Pakistan also conducted pre-World Cup tests in February in which Shoaib and Asif did not appear. The duo was then pulled out of the World Cup due to injuries on the day the team left for the West Indies.

Pakistan suffered a humiliating exit from the World Cup after a three-wicket loss to first-timers Ireland.

Ahsan said the PCB expected all tests to be negative in accordance with its zero tolerance policy on doping.Three of the players – Younis Khan, Danish Kaneria and Yasir Arafat – are currently in England playing county cricket and have been tested abroad, Ahsan said.

Pakistan are due to announce its squad for the Twenty20 World Cup next week.

The probables are attending a tune-up camp which concludes here on Monday. The team's new coach, Australian Geoff Lawson, is due to join them on Aug 20.

Lawson replaces Bob Woolmer who died during the World Cup in March.

Pakistan will open the Twenty20 World Cup against Scotland on Sept 12 before meeting arch rivals India two days later.—AFP