The Pakistan Cricket Board has started conducting dope tests on the probables
for the Twenty20 World Cup including fast bowlers, Shoaib Akhtar
and Mohammad Asif who last year had tested positive for a banned substance.
"The tests are nearly completed and we have a doctor and a local representative
of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) collecting the samples from the players
for the tests," manager Talat Ali said.
He said the results of the tests were expected in a week's time.
Shoaib and Asif after testing positive last year during out-of-competition
tests held by the Board were first banned for two and one years respectively
but then cleared by an appellate panel of the board.
"They did not appear in dope tests conducted before the
last World Cup earlier this year and were later withdrawn from the squad on
fitness grounds." Talat said.
Talat said the dope tests were mandatory for each of the player
named in the camp for the Twenty20 event.
A PCB official, Ehsan Malik said the tests were part
of Pakistan's zero tolerance policy towards drugs in sports.
"We have been conducting such tests for the last three
years. This time the tests are under WADA regulations," he said.
He said Younis Khan, Danish Kaneria and Yasir
Arafat who are playing in England would also undergo the tests abroad.
Malik said he hoped the team would be announced once the results
of the latest tests were received from a Malaysian laboratory.
|