Board praised for drugs stance

Percy Sonn © Getty Images

ICC president Percy Sonn saluted the Pakistan Cricket Board for the way it handled the doping cases of pace bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif.

Shoaib was banned for two years while Asif was handed a 12-month sanction after testing positive for the banned anabolic steroid nandrolone.

Both punishments were handed out by the PCB following an internal inquiry.

“I have read the judgment handed down by the PCB Anti-Doping Commission and feel I must commend the group for its work,” Sonn said.

“It is a good judgment, well written, very professionally done and they have made constant reference to the guidelines laid down in the PCB’s anti-doping code.

“From an ICC perspective it is very satisfactory.

“It is a tragedy that the careers of two cricketers have been tarnished in this way but, at the same time, the judgment emphasises that cricket has a zero tolerance of drug use.

Shoaib Akhtar's suspension is a "tragedy" for his career, in Sonn's words © Getty Images

“That is the idea behind the ICC’s drug-testing regime at all our events since 2002 and our adoption of the World Anti-Doping Agency code in July of this year, and that idea of zero tolerance has to be the major message from this whole affair.”

Although the tribunal criticised the PCB for not offering sufficient guidance to its players, Sonn believes the way in which the board handled the affair from the moment they carried out the tests is the perfect model should a similar situation arise again.

He added: “The PCB has done extremely well in handling this matter in such an efficient manner and its strong stand against doping is a fine precedent.

“I would now urge all ICC full members not already engaged in their own testing regimes to adopt such a process as soon as possible so cricket can show just how committed it is to being known as a drug-free sport.”

Pakistan carried out independent drugs tests on 19 of their players in the build-up to the ICC Champions Trophy.

Shoaib and Asif were pulled out of the tournament by the PCB on the eve of their opening match against Sri Lanka a fortnight ago after samples tested in a WADA laboratory in Malaysia showed traces of the performance-enhancing substance.