KARACHI, Oct 23: Pakistan cricket authorities are unhappy with a reported interview of a member of the drugs inquiry tribunal in which he has said fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif could escape without a ban.

Shoaib and Asif were recalled from the Champions Trophy in India by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) last week after they tested positive for Nandrolone, a banned steroid.

The positive test results came during dope tests conducted on around 19 players by the PCB before the Champions Trophy.

The board has constituted an independent three-member tribunal to investigate the issue and give its recommendations on the two players who face a possible ban of up to two years.

However, Dr Waqar Ahmed a member of the inquiry team has been reported in the media as saying that Shoaib and Asif could be pardoned if they proved they had used the substance by mistake and unintentionally.

“We are surprised that a tribunal member has given such a statement. Because the procedures are clear that no member is supposed to give any statements before the recommendations are finalised and publicised by the board,” an official told Reuters.“We are trying to find out if Dr Waqar has indeed given such an interview. But as far as we are concerned he should not be speaking on the case to the press,” Saleem Altaf said.

“The tribunal must work independently and reach a logical conclusion. Whatever it recommends we will implement but it should not talk about possiblities now,” he added.

Dr Waqar, who is head of sports medicine in the Pakistan Sports Board, was reported as saying that the players should not be presumed guilty straight away.

“If the tribunal is convinced that it all happened innocently by accident and not by negligence, then Shoaib and Asif can be forgiven, but this would be the decision of the whole tribunal and not a single person,” Dr. Waqar said.

Since the inquiry is being conducted internally by the board on out of competition results, the minimum ban of two years for a first violation in the anti-doping regulations of the International Cricket Council (ICC) do not apply.

The tribunal, which also includes former test captain Intikhanb Alam and barrister Shahid Hamid, will meet again on Thursday for their second hearing.—Reuters