Shoaib, Asif test positive again?

[itduzz]

KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have secretly tested their dope-tainted pacers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif only to find out that they are still carrying traces of banned anabolic steroid nandrolone, sources said on Monday.

According to the sources, the PCB have carried out secret dope tests of the two players, who were banned for using nandrolone last year before earning a reprieve from a PCB appeals committee.

The results, according to the sources, have only proved the Board’s worst nightmare true as the players have again tested positive for nandrolone. However, there has been no official confirmation of the dope tests. The PCB have announced that they would carry out dope tests of all the 15 players selected to represent the country in next month’s World Cup in the West Indies.

According to PCB’s Director Operations Saleem Altaf, the tests would be carried out on February 16. The reason behind another round of internal dope tests by the PCB is to avoid any unpleasant surprises during the World Cup.

However, sources said that the Board decided to test Shoaib and Asif before schedule to secretly check whether they are still carrying traces of nandrolone. If selected for the World Cup, Shoaib and Asif would certainly be tested for illegal drugs by the ICC which has already announced introducing ‘target testing’ during the tournament.

The ICC have also supported World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) decision to challenge the lifting of drug bans on Shoaib and Asif by an appeals committee. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is expected to begin hearing the case against the Pakistani bowlers in Switzerland within the next few seeks. According to experts, Shoaib and Asif may get a life ban if they test positive for any illegal substance during the World Cup as it would be their second doping offence.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=42610

 

[shortpitched713]

Damn, the PCB sure sucks at "secret" dope testing.

 

[Richard]

Everyone knew that was always possible.

 

[FRAZ]

Everyone knew that was always possible.

Yup!

 

[FRAZ]

Damn, the PCB sure sucks at "secret" dope testing.

Welcome to "We already know PCB sucks " club !

 

[Fusion]

A doping expert had just recently warned that they could still have traces in their body because it doesn't go away that quickly. His fear was that if they tested positive again, they would face a life ban for a 2nd offense. I posted this in the WC thread:

Cricket: Akhtar, Asif risking life bans, says doping expert KARACHI, Feb 9 (AFP) Pakistan's decision to drug-test their entire World Cup squad could end in life bans for Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, who recently won doping reprieves, an expert warned on Friday. Danish Zaheer, vice president of the Asian Federation of Sports Medicine, said the two bowlers could still have banned substances in their systems after testing positive in October. “To me it is not the good timing for Akhtar and Asif to have re-tests because if they test positive again, which is likely to happen, then on a second offense they face life bans,” Zaheer said. He added that Pakistan should have dealt the WADA appeal before the blanket re-testing, which was announced this week. (Posted @ 16:42 PST)

 

[Richard]

Yes, indeed - and a pretty terrifying thought it is, too.

If there's any chance, IMO both have to be withdrawn from the World Cup - unless, obviously, they can find a way to work it as "we already knew that, how does that change anything?"

 

[vic_orthdox]

So if they do have to face charges this time, their entire argument would consist of ignorance?

 

[C_C]

So if they do have to face charges this time, their entire argument would consist of ignorance?

I think it'd be one of 'lingering chemicals from previous recent doping offence' line of thought.

 

[luffy]

**** me, if they have taken the drugs again they should never play International Cricket again.

 

[pasag]

**** me, if they have taken the drugs again they should never play International Cricket again.

It would have been from the original abuse though. Obviously this is a smart move by Pakistan and there is no way the duo can go to the world cup now.

 

[Johnners]

haha.... just noticed... the Testoserone booster advertisement at the bottom is quite ironic tbh

Being admittedly an ignoramus on body chemicals etc., would i be correct in saying that the amount of the substance in their blood should be considerably less than it was when they were originally tested?

 

[Barney Rubble]

haha.... just noticed... the Testoserone booster advertisement at the bottom is quite ironic tbh

Being admittedly an ignoramus on body chemicals etc., would i be correct in saying that the amount of the substance in their blood should be considerably less than it was when they were originally tested?

Theoretically that should be the case, yeah.

Besides, I thought WADA were taking the case off the PCB's hands once the ban was overturned? Either way, if the two do get life bans it would a) serve them right for taking drugs, and b) serve the PCB right for letting them get away with it in the first place just because they happen to be important parts of the Pakistan team.

 

[C_C]

I think the precedence set by Warne's doping makes life ban too harsh a punishment.
Oh and before someone comes up with the whole 'but it was diuretic-what-can-a-spinner-gain' nonsense, i would like to say that banned drugs are banned drugs, regardless of their role in being banned. I am not aware that there are any 'levels' of drug offences - its all bout how many times you do it, not what you did.
I'd say a 1-2 year ban from all forms of cricket would be a good decision.

That'd surely wreck Shoaib's career but assuming that Asif doesnt lose his speed drastically ( he has picked up some pace after his debut- i am hoping it isnt due to drugs), he still has a long and fruitful career ahead of him even if he were to be banned for 1-2 years. He simply is too good to just waste away in his mid 20s.Fast bowling is,fortunately a discipline where lack of matchplay affects you minimally - you don't need to play at the highest level to keep sharp and international quality- all you need is a set of stumps and a coach behind you observing you bowl.
Ofcourse, it'd mean Asif would be rusty when he came back but it'd be nowhere close to the effect of a batsman or wicketkeeper out of competetive cricket for 2 years.

 

[Matt79]

I think the precedence set by Warne's doping makes life ban too harsh a punishment.
Oh and before someone comes up with the whole 'but it was diuretic-what-can-a-spinner-gain' nonsense, i would like to say that banned drugs are banned drugs, regardless of their role in being banned. I am not aware that there are any 'levels' of drug offences - its all bout how many times you do it, not what you did.
I'd say a 1-2 year ban from all forms of cricket would be a good decision.

That'd surely wreck Shoaib's career but assuming that Asif doesnt lose his speed drastically ( he has picked up some pace after his debut- i am hoping it isnt due to drugs), he still has a long and fruitful career ahead of him even if he were to be banned for 1-2 years. He simply is too good to just waste away in his mid 20s.Fast bowling is,fortunately a discipline where lack of matchplay affects you minimally - you don't need to play at the highest level to keep sharp and international quality- all you need is a set of stumps and a coach behind you observing you bowl.
Ofcourse, it'd mean Asif would be rusty when he came back but it'd be nowhere close to the effect of a batsman or wicketkeeper out of competetive cricket for 2 years.

The references to life-bans refer to being caught a second time with a banned substance. I think they're irrelevant comments tbh, unless the tests proved they'd taken more banned substances since first being caught (ie if the tests are merely detecting the residue of the junk they were taking before the first tests) because you surely can't punish somebody twice for the one offence.

 

[IndianByHeart]

These are all rumors, had they tested positive again, they wouldn't have been selected as PCB knows that these two plays are going to be tested by ICC during WC.

 

[C_C]

story just breaking

I found this part particularly fishy:

Salim Altaf, director operations, PCB, said that Shoaib and Asif are selected subject to clearance in the dope tests of which results are expected during the first week of March. "We will cross that bridge once the results come in," said Altaf of what happens if they do test positive again.


Eh ?!?
Dope test results comming in 3 weeks from now ?!? Are their urine samples headed to another city by bullock cart ?

Sounds like PCB is trying to give as much time to Shoaib and Asif to get rid of any drugs they are currently taking(or residue from first time) out of their systems.
This might sound a bit nutty but is it possible that these two dudes will undergo some sort of 'body cleansing' program to accelerate the purging of their system of drugs ?!?
Is that even possible ?

 

[Matt79]

Diuretics will help presumably, but it's a question of how long do the traces of those last compared to traces of whatever you're trying to hide.

 

[cover drive man]

Diuretics will help presumably, but it's a question of how long do the traces of those last compared to traces of whatever you're trying to hide.

Good point

 

[IndianByHeart]

Diuretics will help presumably, but it's a question of how long do the traces of those last compared to traces of whatever you're trying to hide.

No way , diuretic are banned and even though they will wash off nadrolone, they would remain in the body and would result in players get banned.