Pakistan duo win drugs ban appeal

Sultan

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Shoaib and Asif both blamed contaminated supplements.

Pakistan fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif have had their bans for doping overturned.

The pair were cleared by a three-man appeals committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board in Karachi.

A tribunal banned Shoaib, 31, for two years and Asif, 23, for one year on 1 November for testing positive for the banned steroid nandrolone.

Both are free to play in the World Cup and Asif has targeted a return in the one-day series against West Indies.

The first of the five limited overs was rained off in Rawalpindi on Tuesday and the next is scheduled for Thursday.

"I am fit to play international cricket," Asif insisted.

"Now it all depends on the selection committee whether they will include me."

Asif expressed his gratitude to those around him and added: "My lawyers gave me a lot of hope and my parents also supported me."

Both players insisted they did not knowingly take the drug, claiming it was present in supplements they had taken.

The appeals committee, headed by retired judge Fakhruddin Ibrahim, accepted their defence after carrying out its own investigations.

Ibrahim said: "The committe holds that Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif will not be deemed to have committed a doping offence.

"The ban and punishment imposed by the earlier tribunal is hereby set aside as being contrary to the provision of laws."

Ibrahim added it was "clearly, plainly evident that Akhtar nor Asif were ever warned or cautioned against taking supplements".

Akhtar and Asif were recalled from the Champions Trophy in India in October after they tested positive in out-of-competition tests conducted by the PCB.
 
Pathetic decison,Mybe hair should appeal and state he was under the influence of drugs when umpiring that test but was unaware.Imo teams should refuse to play pakistan if they proceed to play these players.
 
They'll probably get a shorter ban by the ICC. Although Greg Rudeski, Linford Christie(not sure which substance it was though) and some others had their bans overturned by the governing commitees of their respective sports. And when the Italians were hitting. . .Davids, Couto and Stam with 4 month bans, FIFA didn't do anything about it. So, perhaps the ICC won't do anything at all, either.

Makes you think that Rio was very harshly treated by the FA.
 
:lol: :lol:

I can't believe the ban has been overturned.

But I won't protest too loudly. :D

Let's hope no one gives Yousef a drugs test!
 
Why does Pakistani cricket/cricketers get embroiled in controversies more often than other nations?
 
Maybe because the nation is so obsessive about cricket, so much national pride is at stake, that there's more pressure on them to try whatever they can to succeed...and then you get a feedback cycle where others accuse them more often...

Maybe because there's much more corruption in the country at large than there is in England or Australia or probably even India and South Africa...and cricket is just a part of that?
 
They don't have a strong person/commitee incharge, I think. Players are bigger than the game, as well. I think the same can be said for India too. Plus, there are huge betting syndicates too involved in the game.(all over Asia)

I guess, it's pretty similar to Italian football.
 
Plechazunga said:
The ICC will do nothing, I assume
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Just read it is out of ICC's jurisdiction.

The testing was conducted by the PCB, so the appeals were under the ruling of the PCB laws.

The PCB doctors administered the medicines which contained the banned substance, they tested positive in tests conducted by the PCB, they themselves found the players guilty.

The independent appeals committee, which accepted their defence carried out its own investigations was outside the PCB's inept jurisdiction.

It's all a mess, really don't know what to make of it all, just glad I'll be able to watch a great bowler in action again.
 
Its farcical but until WADA or ICC get their fingers out and make official rulings on these matters then each board will do the same. Look at what happened with Warne and his diuretic tablets, etc. He got a year's ban but WADA weren't happy with that either. They thought he was guilty of taking drugs to heal his shoulder quicker then used duiretics to mask the effects of the steroids he took.
 
Sonn critical of Pakistan board's 'inconsistency'

Cricinfo staff

December 6, 2006



Percy Sonn: 'This judgement emphasises that much more work needs to be done to educate players and to synchronise our members' © Getty Images

Percy Sonn, the ICC president, has criticised the Pakistan Cricket Board over inconsistency in handling the judgement involving Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, the fast bowlers who were acquitted by the Anti-Doping appeals committee.

"The judgment highlights inconsistencies in the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) anti-doping processes and regulations," said Sonn. "Cricket has taken significant strides forward in addressing the important issue of drug use in our sport. However, this judgement emphasises that much more work needs to be done to educate players and to synchronise our members' efforts to attain a totally drug-free sport."

Sonn hoped that the other member countries would avoid similar discrepancies. "It is vital that cricket takes heed of the judgment and that the lessons it provides are disseminated amongst all our members. Of primary importance is that all those members revisit their own regulations and align them both with the ICC's Anti-Doping Code and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code."

He was also keen that players around the world are not caught unawares in the future. "The issue of player education is also of vital importance and the ICC will, with WADA's continued assistance, do its utmost to make it easier for our members to provide this service to their players and officials. The key fact is that it is vital for all our members to maintain a zero tolerance on the use of drugs in our sport.

"That is the idea behind the ICC's drug-testing regime at all our events since 2002 and our adoption of the WADA Code in July of this year. I would now urge all our Members to ensure appropriate action is taken so cricket can show just how committed it is to being known as a drug-free sport."
 
There's gonna be some sort of split soon, with the sub-continental sides calling the ICC racist, and the ICC calling them corrupt

It'll be like boxing, with different competing authorities holding different championships

Australia will win them all
 
India generates most of the revenue. They're shite at cricket, always have been. But the ICC will never be able to feck with them.
 
mehro said:
Sonn critical of Pakistan board's 'inconsistency'

Cricinfo staff

December 6, 2006



Percy Sonn: 'This judgement emphasises that much more work needs to be done to educate players and to synchronise our members' © Getty Images

Percy Sonn, the ICC president, has criticised the Pakistan Cricket Board over inconsistency in handling the judgement involving Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, the fast bowlers who were acquitted by the Anti-Doping appeals committee.

"The judgment highlights inconsistencies in the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) anti-doping processes and regulations," said Sonn. "Cricket has taken significant strides forward in addressing the important issue of drug use in our sport. However, this judgement emphasises that much more work needs to be done to educate players and to synchronise our members' efforts to attain a totally drug-free sport."

Sonn hoped that the other member countries would avoid similar discrepancies. "It is vital that cricket takes heed of the judgment and that the lessons it provides are disseminated amongst all our members. Of primary importance is that all those members revisit their own regulations and align them both with the ICC's Anti-Doping Code and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code."

He was also keen that players around the world are not caught unawares in the future. "The issue of player education is also of vital importance and the ICC will, with WADA's continued assistance, do its utmost to make it easier for our members to provide this service to their players and officials. The key fact is that it is vital for all our members to maintain a zero tolerance on the use of drugs in our sport.

"That is the idea behind the ICC's drug-testing regime at all our events since 2002 and our adoption of the WADA Code in July of this year. I would now urge all our Members to ensure appropriate action is taken so cricket can show just how committed it is to being known as a drug-free sport."
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I agree with Percy Sonn, so did the PCB.

To be fair to PCB they took a very brave decision in testing and then banning the players, only to lose the case after an appeal to an independent commission.

The players had no advantage in taking these drugs 'deliberately' to enhance their performance. The injuries meant they could hardly play any cricket, save a few one dayers.
 
Spoony said:
India generates most of the revenue. They're shite at cricket, always have been. But the ICC will never be able to feck with them.
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:mad:


i'm gonna get back to you on that one as soon as we win the test series against SA.
 
Spoony said:
They're shite at cricket
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Yet we keep the beating your lot comfortably. Oh and England still havent won the world cup. Tells you who matters in the sport and who doesnt. 2 fecking nil.
 
ManUinOz said:
One day stuff isn't really cricket though is it.?
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It obviously is. Its where all the money comes from. Without it test cricket would be rather rubbish.
 
amolbhatia100 said:
It obviously is. Its where all the money comes from. Without it test cricket would be rather rubbish.
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I'd have to disagree, when sport is more about money than the ultimate contest on the field then we are in big strife. One day cricket, and that bastard 20/20 game are all about a quick fix to keep TV broadcasters happy for the masses with the attention span of a flea. Test cricket is far more interesting overall than the one day stuff, admittedly it has it's slow passages, like the 2nd Ashes test, but ultimately that game became far better than any one day game could ever wish for.
 
ManUinOz said:
I'd have to disagree, when sport is more about money than the ultimate contest on the field then we are in big strife. One day cricket, and that bastard 20/20 game are all about a quick fix to keep TV broadcasters happy for the masses with the attention span of a flea. Test cricket is far more interesting overall than the one day stuff, admittedly it has it's slow passages, like the 2nd Ashes test, but ultimately that game became far better than any one day game could ever wish for.
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Thats you're opinion. Here in India and for most of the sub continent which generates most of the interest and money for the game, one day cricket is actually more important.

I'm a purist at heart, for me theres nothing like a top quality test series and test performances are more important but i recognize the need for an alternate and i appreciate that as well. Purely as a skill its one in itself. Of course how fast you can score runs should be appreciated or how economically you can bowl. Limited overs just makes sense, maybe not to replace the orginal format but as an alternate. You wouldnt get the Gilchrists, Dhonis and Sehwags of this world otherwise. What i meant by it making test cricket more important was that with so much one day cricket being played there is a stress on scoring quickly in test cricket as well giving us more results and less teams settling for boring draws. Its added something to the game as a whole. And although i dont think thats the ideal cricket pitch/contest because of its one sidedness, for most neutrals the Australia SA highest 400+ run chase was far more exciting that a 4 day snore fest in the 2nd ashes test.
 
Covered the biggest farce of a cricket match that was the "400 run chase!!!" with a little pitch comment amol??:lol:
 
Donado said:
Covered the biggest farce of a cricket match that was the "400 run chase!!!" with a little pitch comment amol??:lol:
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It was exciting. Definately more exciting than 4 days of extremely boring test cricket. Read the whole post, i think theres clearly a place for one day cricket and most of the cricket viewing public agree.
 
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