LAHORE, Dec 11: The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said on Monday it may challenge Pakistan's decision to overturn bans on Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif but will await the result of talks with cricket's governing body.

Paceman Shoaib was banned for two years and his new-ball partner Asif for one year in November after testing positive for the steroid nandrolone however the pair won their appeals against the suspensions last week.

Both the International Cricket Council (ICC) and WADA, the doping agency, have criticised the decision by a local appeals committee, which will allow both fast bowlers to play in the 2007 World Cup.

“WADA is reviewing the appeal commission's decision after getting its copy and is also currently liaising with the International Cricket Council,” WADA media relations manager Frederic Donze said in an email.

Donze said that once the discussion ends the WADA will come up with a final course of action.

“Any decision on possible action from the ICC and WADA, including WADA's exercise of its right of appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), will need to await the outcome of these discussions,” said Donze.

WADA has successfully challenged such decisions in the CAS in Switzerland in the past.

ICC chief Percy Sonn said last week that the Pakistani decision highlighted “inconsistencies” in Pakistan's anti-doping process, while Dick Pound, the head of WADA, reportedly said it was “aberrational”.

The tests were conducted internally by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in September this year and after the positive results came in Shoaib and Asif were immediately called back from Pakistan's Champions Trophy squad on Oct 12.

But the appeals committee overhauled the bans imposed by a PCB tribunal on the grounds that neither of the players had intentionally taken drugs and that they were not cautioned or warned for banned substances in the past.

The PCB chief has said that the matter is closed and that he does not see how reservations by WADA or the ICC would affect the players.—AFP