Re: Breaking News: Shoaib and Asif cleared of doping charges
Awesome, the loss of Asif was a big one and now his return will be buoyant for the entire team, especially since they have shown some fight.
Remember: Asif and Shoaib can't open our batting and see of the first ten overs, they can't anchor our middle order. Not all is fixed but this makes us among the top 2-3 teams insha Allah.
Re: Breaking News: Shoaib and Asif cleared of doping charges
This is a SAD day in the history of Pakistan cricket. Money, super star status and the fear of losing takes precedence over "the right thing to do" Pakistan cricket has lately turned into a joke.
Re: Breaking News: Shoaib and Asif cleared of doping charges
I think a lot of assumptions about my intentions there LM. I said I was happy for Asif because he is a youngster and has his whole career ahead of him, nothing more should be inferred. As for Shaoib I didn't judge him till he was proven guilty. I agree with FG's sentiments that fear of losing has overtaken what should have been. The message we are sending is that so long as we win we will tolerate anything. Very sad indeed.
Re: Breaking News: Shoaib and Asif cleared of doping charges
One person who may not be happy with the news of the ban being lifted on the super stars is Mohammed Sami.
Re: Breaking News: Shoaib and Asif cleared of doping charges
NOT a sad day. Justice was done. Go read the 30 page statement, it would stand in any court of law. This was no kangaroo court, it passed a vigorous legal test and was done transparently. Some highlights:
“A player commits a doping offence if: (a) a prohibited substance is present within the player’s body tissue or fluids, UNLESS: (i) the player uses the prohibited substance for therapeutic purpose (see clause 4.4.); or (ii) there are exceptional circumstances (see clause 4.5)”.
*** PERSONAL NOTE: This UNLESS makes the entire case ***
It is important to recognize that the ICC Anti Doping Code although largely WADA compliant, does have a few provisions which are different to the WADA Code. Most significantly, a player who is able to prove ‘No Fault or Negligence’ is found to have committed no violation. This is a departure from the WADA Code, which even under the circumstances of ‘No Fault or Negligence’ does not allow for a verdict of no violation but the same is only the basis for reduction in penalty.
***PERSONAL NOTE: This allows us to free Akhtar and Asif completely. People are saying, “Even Warne was given a year.” So what? They found no fault or negligence. Per the code, they are fully exonerated. ***
Therefore, there is no doubt in our minds that the PCB Anti Doping Regulations are applicable to the present case of Shoaib Akhtar and Muhammad Asif who were tested in Pakistan by the PCB under its Regulations and not by any other international sports body.
PERSONAL NOTE: This precludes WADA or ICC involvement. The matter is closed legally.
Don’t forget the scientific debate surrounding the level of 19-Norandrosterone and questioned the prescribed limit of 2 ng/ml by citing medical literature which argued that higher levels of 19-Norandrosterone was possible by way of endogenous production.
The PCB’s Anti Doping Control Officer Dr. Sohail Saleem, was specifically asked by the ADC as to how many times were the players advised on Anti Doping Regulations in the past year. He answered, not even once.
The vast record of the proceedings before the ADC and this Appeals Committee establishes that Shoaib Akhtar and Muhammad Asif were never advised against taking supplements, nor were they even provided with any international or local publications warning them against
the use of supplements.
*** PERSONAL NOTE: The PCB was at fault for not training the players better. Do we really want to begin the “pointing fingers” game? Why has Sehwag’s performance nosedived recently? What about Tendulkar’s vast injuries? MOve on people.
Re: Breaking News: Shoaib and Asif cleared of doping charges
My point: Pakistanis have nothing to apologize for. The ICC Anti-Doping policy clearly has allowances for negligence that are more lenient than WADA. The PCB failed its players and held them to a higher standard than any other team. The proceedings are released to the public and available for all to see. Pakistan has done nothing to hang their heads over. If someone is bitter, it is because they have some personal issues. GO READ THE STATEMENT. It is pretty obvious that the players established a reasonable doubt about their guilt.
Re: Breaking News: Shoaib and Asif cleared of doping charges
**Dr. Danish can kiss my a. Decision has been rendered and it is final. As a side note he is criticizing the testing procedures by the PCB and he is not implying that the boys were dopers in any way shape or form.**
Re: Breaking News: Shoaib and Asif cleared of doping charges
check them, they r still hopped up on drugs.
Re: Breaking News: Shoaib and Asif cleared of doping charges
*You mean happy drugs like Salajit, Kushtaa's and halwaa's. *
Re: Breaking News: Shoaib and Asif cleared of doping charges
^ haahahahah…lol sami ka kiya hoga ab…
Re: Breaking News: Shoaib and Asif cleared of doping charges
lol...i wish...thanks to the incompetence of the PCB we have our attack back...wohooo...:D
Re: Breaking News: Shoaib and Asif cleared of doping charges
As suggested previously on other threads Sami should start looking for alternative careers such as pizza delivery or helping Rana out.
Re: Breaking News: Shoaib and Asif cleared of doping charges
Wonderful news. Now we will have a better game in SA. It will be really fun to watch Pak taking on Safies.
Re: Breaking News: Shoaib and Asif cleared of doping charges
I told you they will be back. :D
Re: Breaking News: Shoaib and Asif cleared of doping charges
Rameez Raja on the doping verdict
Shoaib and Asif have to live with the taint
December 5, 2006
*It has been a dramatic turnaround. The original tribunal appointed to investigate the doping scandal had ruled Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif guilty and imposed a ban on them. But the appeals tribunal today acquitted both the players. Cricinfo spoke to Rameez Raja on how the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) handled the situation and what impact the decision will have on the careers of Shoaib and Asif. *
Rameez Raja: It’s ironic that two committees were constituted by the PCB, supposedly independent, and both dished out two completely different verdicts. First of all, for technical reasons, fingers have to be pointed at PCB for a technical goof-up.** The players reputation has been badly tarnished and there is also emotional distress, which cannot be measured. The two players want to play for Pakistan, otherwise PCB can be taken to the cleaners on technical matters to the court. **
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan: The first tribunal seemed more like a charade to the outsider, as if they had to set up something immediately and pass a verdict. Now the second tribunal has acquitted the player, so what lessons can the PCB learn from this.
**RR: **Committee number one, I am not sure what agenda they were given; whether they were working on the PCB regulation or the ICC or the WADA regulation. I think the punishment was based on the ICC and WADA regulation and it completely bypassed the internal laws regarding doping, and so there was this distance. That is why the scope of agenda was not clear for committee number one and I think committee number two got involved in the technical matters. **Importantly it suggests that PCB did not make it’s players aware about these substances, and you want your players to be more educated in these matters. Yes, technically PCB has goofed up and they need to be technically more efficient and not jump the gun. **
SV: Shoaib is near the end of his career and Asif is an emerging youngster who suffered a jolt to his career. So what does the future of these players hold and what about Pakistan’s chances in the World Cup, considering these players will be back?
RR: **For the rest of their careers both the players have to live with the tag; this must not be easy for them even though they have been relieved of the doping charges. It will just carry on with them and not go away quickly. Lessons need to be learnt by these two players - you have to be careful about the substances you take. **Their return does improve Pakistan’s chances in the World Cup, they are an integral part of the team for both the one-dayers and Tests. Asif was more required than Shoaib in one-dayers, he has bowled brilliantly since last year. Also, Shoaib provides the pace. So both are required, lessons got to be learned and I don’t know how they would look up to the challenge mentally. This was a big event in their life and how they recover will be another thing all together.
SV: As Rameez pointed out a lot of questions would definitely be raised about the PCB’s handling of the situation. Shoaib and Asif may heave a sigh of relieve, but irrespective of the result they will have to live with the tag for the rest of their lives.
Agree with Rameez that their image has been greatly affected and have to live with this tag regardless of what both of them achieve in reminder of their careers.
Re: Breaking News: Shoaib and Asif cleared of doping charges
And to say Shoaib Akhtar had a better image before this fiasco is a fart in the face.
Re: Breaking News: Shoaib and Asif cleared of doping charges
yes ...definitely Shoaib got another chance...but his image is already quite tainted from before...
and you have to remember Rameez's comments are not ever really insightful ...rather they more like "echoes"....
you can expect to hear the same from many different peaks and valleys...
if you want real unique comments worth their weight...look somewhere else..
Re: Breaking News: Shoaib and Asif cleared of doping charges
Shoaib says he is breathing again. Thanks Allah for the results. Aray bhai, ab Allah yaad agaya…ab usay bhoolna naheen…
‘I am breathing again’ - Shoaib](http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/pakistan/content/current/story/271257.html)
December 5, 2006
Pakistan’s relieved new-ball duo of Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif have said they were eager to get their careers back on track after winning an appeal against doping charges.
The pair also thanked their team-mates and bosses after a three-man committee overturned the two-year ban imposed last month on Akhtar and a one-year ban on Asif after they allegedly tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone.
“I am breathing again, my life was jolted no-end by the ban. I can’t describe the feeling,” said Akhtar, who almost announced his retirement from cricket after the ban. “I was so disappointed that I was not sleeping properly. I am thankful to the Almighty, and to the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Dr Naseem Ashraf, to give both of us a proper chance to fight the ban.”
At 31, a relatively advanced age for a fast bowler, Shoaib had feared that the ban would end his cricketing career. “I missed playing cricket for my country and now I hope that I will resume my career. The whole team had supported me and I am thankful to my teammates and every cricket lover who prayed for me.”
Both players had denied taking any banned substances and the appeals committee said that neither player had been advised on vitamin supplements which may have caused the positive tests.
The 23-year-old Asif, an emerging star this year, said his whole family had been in turmoil since the dope test results were revealed in October. “I am delighted to hear that I will be playing again. These two months have been the worst of my life and only today I resumed training,” said Asif, adding that he had lost six pounds through worrying.
**“I hope the bad days are over now. I badly want to play and it was only through the support of my captain Inzamam-ul-Haq and coach Bob Woolmer that I kept myself going.” **
© AFP
Re: Breaking News: Shoaib and Asif cleared of doping charges
Science says?
The players' lawyers also argued that scientific evidence surrounding Nandrolone suggested it could be produced endogenously (internally by the body). The committee argued that there was as much evidence to refute this as to support it and so they were not "persuaded by the defence that Shoaib Akhtar's positive test was caused due to endogenous production on account of his diet and exercise regime."
But the committee did acknowledge that there existed cases globally which showed that nutritional supplements were contaminated with banned substances. Citing several cases, including that of Greg Rusedski, the tennis player, the committee found "sufficient material has been brought before this committee to conclude that nutritional supplements used by Shoaib and Asif, which we may add are well-known branded supplements readily available in the open market, could have contained an undeclared prohibited substance that resulted in their positive test."
^well they gave them the benefit of the the doubt.There is no evidence to suggest that Nandrolone was produced in their body through the supplements that they took or naturally... or evidence to suggest otherwise.They gave them the benefit of the doubt based on the literature provided to them about the supplemets that they took and about the possibility that Nandrolone can be produced naturally.I think its a fair decision eventhough it may not be according to the rules and regulations of WADA.
Re: Breaking News: Shoaib and Asif cleared of doping charges
I have mixed feelings about this, though Fakhrudding Ebrahim was touted as tough cookie but the results are sort of more shocking now perhaps more so because we were expecting cut-down in punishments rather than a complete turn-over.
However, as I said in previous thread, all this drama exposes inefficiency, un-professionalism of PCB. Now PCB chairman must be scratching a pole somewhere (khisayni billi khamba nochay).