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Paceman Asif to appeal drugs ban Asif and Shoaib to contest bans
(about 3 hours later)
Pakistan seam bowler Mohammad Asif is to appeal against his one-year ban from the game for failing a drugs test. Pakistan's Mohammad Asif and Shoaib Akhtar will appeal against bans for testing positive for a banned steroid.
Asif and team-mate Shoaib Akhtar, who was given a two-year suspension, tested positive for a banned steroid. Shoaib has a two-year ban but his doctor Hamed Tauseef Razzaq said: "We will show the world he is innocent.
But the 23-year-old, in his first public statement about the matter, insisted he had never deliberately taken any prohibited substances. "Shoaib has not cheated. He would never cheat and let his country or himself down. We're going to go all the way."
"I will appeal this ban and fight it out. I had never thought of a such a situation in my career," he said. Asif has been suspended for a year but, in his first public statement about the matter, denied knowingly taking nandrolone and said: "I will fight it."
Asif has emerged as one of the most promising new ball bowlers in international crickets over the past few months, and has so far taken 30 wickets in six Tests at a cost of just 21 runs each. The 23-year-old has emerged as one of the most promising new=ball bowlers in international cricket over the past few months, claiming 30 wickets in six Tests at a cost of just 21 runs each.
Relying more on accuracy and seam movement than extreme pace, he was also seen as key figure in Pakistan's plans for next year's World Cup in the West Indies, a tournament he will now miss. "Sometimes you go through a crisis, like you don't get wickets or you are out of favour with selectors - but this is something I never thought of," he added.
"It's so unimaginable that I won't be playing the World Cup. I want to play the event to help Pakistan win it," he commented.
"Sometimes you go through a crisis, like you don't get wickets or you are out of favour with selectors - but this is something I never thought of.
"I have earned a name only on my God-given abilities and not on anything else. I knew nothing about doping.""I have earned a name only on my God-given abilities and not on anything else. I knew nothing about doping."
The three-man tribunal which heard the case decided to give Asif a lighter penalty because he had never been tested before and had little knowledge of performance-enhancing drugs. Shoaib is very confident that, given a fair trial with the evidence we are going to be presenting, he will be acquitted Dr Hamed Tauseef Razzaq
It is through there were traces of the steroid, nandrolone, in a vitamin supplement Asif was using. It was thought there were traces of the steroid, nandrolone, in nutritional supplements Asif and Shoaib were taking.
Dr Razzaq says a panel of experts will prove the duo did not deliberately break rules.
"They will beyond doubt show how you can test positive for nandralone without taking it," he added.
"These boys have been taking food supplements available over the counter. They are legal herbal medicines and they can cause positive nandrolone tests.
"It doesn't mean they have been using illegal drugs to enhance their performance or speed up their recovery.
"Shoaib is very confident that, given a fair trial with the evidence we are going to be presenting, he will be acquitted."
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board, which has cancelled Shoaib and Asif's central contracts, says it will revise deals given to other players in line with their zero tolerance policy on doping.
New contracts will be awarded only to players who have played a minimum number of matches and will include incentive-based match fees.