Shoaib Akhtar banned for two years...

[ll0OoO0ll]

Originally Posted by Vrock

Hopefully this will send a shock reminder to all those in the Pakistani first-class cricket setup about the use of drugs and that it doesn't pay in the end.

Thats interesting. I dont have any regrets about the bans but together with "they got what they deserved", shoaib proved to be a sacrifice lamb. I think this pick n choose policy is totally wack. IMO, to have a fair and square environment, ICC should've laid down a set up of having every player tested before and after every game no matter what country the sides represent. As my friend Vrock implies that rest of the world is a drug free haven but somehow only Pakistani first class cricket needed a shock reminder.

[Mr Hutt]

Truly sad for all of Shoaibs and Asifs fans.... as well as for the pak team. Just read the PCB report from their website kindly provided by captain, and i am just amazed at the amount of pills and supplemants shoaib was taking, quite crazy!!!!

Asif might be back... Shoaib definately is finished... what a way to go..we need to find someone to replace these two immediately.

[Andy Mellon]

Originally Posted by ll0OoO0ll

As my friend Vrock implies that rest of the world is a drug free haven but somehow only Pakistani first class cricket needed a shock reminder.

That's a very fair point. I think its important to highlight that there's been a much higher number of drug bans for English domestic players than Pakistan ones at this point. The fact that the English drug bans have mainly been for recreational drugs (Keith Piper, Graeme Wagg) is neither here nor there.

To my mind, there needs to be a more systematic method of drugs testing in international and domestic tournaments worldwide. A standard method used by each country. Also, I think its fair to remember that the PCB have been fairly proactive in this particular case and should be recognised for that.

[Occasional Fan]

Just for my education, isn't that what WADA is for?

[gangstacocacola]

the only plus i can see for pakistan fast bowling is that umar gul is starting to take responsibility and is setting an example to the likes of sami. also shabbir ahmed's ban is coming to an end now and hopefully he will do well when he returns. Akhtar-goodbye. Asif-see you next year

[Rachael]

Originally Posted by Occasional Fan

Just for my education, isn't that what WADA is for?

World Anti-Doping Agency.

As I understand it the ICC is signed up but has yet to get all the boards fully into line.... though this is happening. The PCB is one that's moving rapidly in that direction... but as it's yet to complete the process it is not tied by WADA regulations (which is why the 12 month ban is feasible: once the PCB is signed up this discretionary power vanishes).

The one sound basis for excusing Asif 12 months of his sentence is the PCB failure to educate players like him about policies on drugs: any UK based player would have had the book thrown at them because they should all KNOW that ignorance is no defense... but the PCB has apparently not been very good at spelling this out to young players.

Methinks that's just changed overnight :-)

[greg]

The rest of the world isn't a drug free haven as Shane Warne proved.

I am pleased the offenders have been given lengthy bans and i can't say i am too sad that Shoaib will probably never play again.I would like to think that any England player caught under similar circumstances would not represent his country again.

As Mr Asif will return i hope he has learnt from his mistake and is a lesson to others that you shouldn't take drugs.

On a side issue it would be good if both players now went round Pakistan educating youngsters on the stupidity of taking drugs in sport.

[Zainub]

After reading the full text of the PCB Tribunal's statement, all the questions I had were answered and all the ones raised in this thread too will be answered quite clearly if one gives it a read, its a long statement, but well worth the time. I have to stand up and applaud the tribunal for the through and comprehensive manner in which they conducted the hearing, and then having being bold enough to reproduce its finding for the public. This level of transparency is not common for Pakistan Cricket, or indeed any Pakistan associated investigative procedure, and is hence a heartening change that one hopes will not be a one off occurrence, but becomes the norm from now on.

As for their verdict, one can't help but think Shoaib Akhtar, given all the information he him self has provided about his medical history and lifestyle, that he might have got away with lightly. He had been taking not one but several nutritional supplements, all without any medical advice, and claims he never knew of any Anti-Doping Regulations, even though his signature appears on a lecture the PCB conducted on this matter, and he himself admitted having given doping tests not once but twice in his career before! How then he could have claimed to have not known anything is not beyond logic, its completely insane. His next line of defense seemingly was that the increased levels Nandrolone found in his sample was because of his high-protein diet and Hakimi treatment, but when he was given the option to use a special urine test which could determine if the source of a metabolite found in a sample was exogenous or endogenous, he refused taking the test! Talk about having a guilty conscious!

Its blatantly obvious as far as I'm seeing it, every thing, from his intentions, to his actions, to the whole attitude he seems to have, its smacks of disdain, arrogance and a total disregard for rules, moral, ethic and professional codes or indeed any kind of standard procedures. Certainly a more strict tribunal could have seen him handed an even longer ban, I my self would have been inclined to give him a life ban, so outraged am I by his self-obsessed attitude, willing to go to every length to achieve success. Pakistan Cricket will be better off without such inflated ego-heads. In my eyes he cheated, and did so with deliberate intention, and should not ever be forgiven for such an action. At least, I wont ever forgive him, and I doubt his fellow professionals, would ever be able to respect him in the same way either as before, his career is dead, and buried.

The case of Asif is different, and his ban seems appropriate too given the evidence provided (he too seemed to have started taking a nutritional supplement without medical advice, but then once he was given advise, he stopped immediately, unlike Shoaib who never sought advice) and the circumstances (one cannot forget he is very new to the international scene, his claim of ignorance is hence more believable then Shoaib's). Yet the PCB have set a strong precedent by not being overtly lenient with him either and handing him a one year ban too.

I have to admit, I did not expect the PCB, to have done any better a job at handling this issue then their previous mishandling of Ovalgate saga and the Younis Khan affair, but credit where's due, they were not only responsible enough to conduct their own tests, but they were also bold enough to punish those found guilty. You have to congratulate them, and hope that the strong signal they have intended to pass out to remaining cricket professionals in this country by their verdicts, is heard loud and clear.

And yeah, one last thing, on the question of whose responsbility is it to educate. Its a collective responsbility, shared between the players, the national board, the ICC and the WADA, but the biggest responsibility rests in the hands of the players them selves. Pertaining to the case of these two, neither can say they were never educated at all. Shoaib, despite what he claim, knew everything, and Asif too, was handed a written copy of the regulations. Obviously the fact that they were in English, a language he barely understands, hindered the "education" procedure quite dramatically, but if I was the official speaking for the WADA, I'd not sight that as my problem! Why didn't Asif ever ask some one to translate the regulations for him, he could have easily done so.

Its the players' careers that are at stakes, its their responsibility ultimately, to make sure they are educated if they aren't! The fact of the matter is that until now no profesional sportsman would even care about this in Pakistan, even if they were educated, like Shoaib Akhtar was, they'd not bother being cautios about it, becuase its never something that has been in their way of doing things. So, the need for educating players, is much more at the grass root levels then higher, in that sense this scandal may well prove a timely wake up call. The PCB is not without blame, and as the tribunal statment too says, it needs to improve further its awarness programs and do more, and more often, but everything said and done, in the end, it has to be the players you've got ask. Ignorance, simply isn't a good enough excuse.

[admin]

Not much has been said in this thread regarding the injuries the players were trying to overcome. I'm no expert on drugs but it seems to me to be to everyone's benefit if professional sportsman can get drug-related assistance to recover as quickly as possible so the public can see them in action again as soon as possible. Where I draw the line to taking drugs is when a player is using them whilst playing - that is performance enhancing. I don't see a problem with professional sportsman taking them to recover because they aren't actually competing.

[arsalan660]

Shoaib gets ban of 2 years and Asif 1 year i think PCB didnt want Shoaib in action so they get the best idea of ending his career with this. As Shane Warne got 1 year ban why not Shoaib Akhter. PCB are not happy with Shoaib actions out the field so they get the right time to end his career and they did it good. Because after 1 year Shoaib can play but after a huge time of 2 years he will definitely over.

Best of Luck for Shoaib Akhter.