WADA to seek Shoaib and Asif bans
The World Anti-Doping Agency are to push for Pakistan fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif to be banned.
The pair both tested positive for a banned steroid but the suspensions imposed on them by the Pakistan Cricket Board, who conducted the tests, were lifted on appeal as a panel ruled that neither player, who both came back from injury this year, had taken the substance deliberately.
WADA have not been impressed and intend to take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland and they will contend that as full members of the International Cricket Council, who are signatories to the WADA code, the PCB must take action.
WADA chairman Dick Pound told BBC World Service: "The two players tested positive. They have not even asked for the B samples to be analysed, so they accept the result [of the initial tests] and the Pakistan Cricket Board simply did not apply the code.
"The ICC doesn't seem to be entirely clear which way it wants to go, so rather than wait and possibly have the thing fall between stools, we're going to exercise our responsibility under the code - we do not think the proper result has been achieved to date.
"If we are successful in this, I think it will be a matter of considerable embarrassment to the ICC that it did not act."
