Related Links : ICC Champions Trophy 2006 : Shoaib Akhtar : Mohammad Asif
Pakistan have received yet another major jolt to their Champions Trophy campaign with match winning fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif testing positive in a doping test. Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif are forced to return back to Pakistan following this and would not be taking any part in the tournament. Pakistan had already lost the services of Inzamam-ul-Haq who got a ban for bringing the game into disrepute during the infamous Oval Test. Pakistan are to play their first match of the Champions Trophy against Sri Lanka tomorrow at Jaipur.
It is learnt that the Pakistan Cricket Board had conducted an internal drug test more than 10 days back and the samples were tested at a laboratory in Malaysia. Both players have taken some performance-enhancing drugs according to the reports. Both Akhtar and Asif had returned back to competitive cricket only recently after their respective injuries. This is not the first time that cricketers have been suspended from playing after testing positive for banned substances. In 2003, Shane Warne was tested positive for using a prohibited method to enhance performance and had to miss the tournament which was later known to be a diuretic which was to reduce his weight. Warne had to be banned by the Australian Board for one year. Only time will tell what kind of action the PCB and the ICC take on the two Pakistani fast bowlers.