Re: BREAKING NEWS: Shoaib and Asif OUT of WC
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Re: BREAKING NEWS: Shoaib and Asif OUT of WC
six months of drama and they still can’t play in World Cup. what was all the appeals, trials… for. pakistan should have just stick with the original punishment. shoaib will most likely not play cricket any more and asif will come back after 2-3 months. had we stick with there original punishments, atleast Pakistan would have gained some respect. but now we lost respect, shoaib, and asif. all is gone. 
Re: BREAKING NEWS: Shoaib and Asif OUT of WC
Looks like Shoaib & Asif are for sure out now…
http://www.dawn.com/2007/03/02/spt1.htm
ISLAMABAD, March 1: Pakistani fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammed Asif have been ruled out of the Cricket World Cup 2007 due to injuries, the Pakistan Cricket Board said Thursday.
All-rounder Yasir Arafat and paceman Mohammed Sami were named as their replacements. “We have received Shoaib and Asif’s medical assessments and the players are physically unfit,” team spokesman P.J. Mir told reporters.
“Their injuries will take time to heal so after selectors consulted captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, the decision has been taken not to include them,” Mir said.
After the decision, the Pakistan cricket team left for the West Indies, which is hosting the World Cup. Captain Inzamam-ul-Haq said his side was under pressure after losing the two key players. Both Shoaib and Asif went to England for checkups on their respective knee and elbow injuries.
On Thursday, the PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf told a news conference in Islamabad that “Pakistan will badly feel the absence of Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammed Asif, who may take weeks or even months to recover” from their injuries.
He said both Shoaib and Asif would return home soon and that the board will again check their “medical and match fitness,” although he said the chances of the bowlers’ recovery from injuries were “bleak”.
Dr Ashraf said Sami and Arafat also were “equally good” and hoped that Pakistan will “do better in the World Cup.” “We had faced similar problems before the 1992 World Cup, but the boys did well under the leadership of Imran Khan. Inzamam-ul-Haq is also a good captain,” he said.
The PCB chief dismissed as baseless the local media reports that the board had secretly done dope tests of Akhtar and Asif, and that they had not cleared the tests. “It is wrong. We have not done any such secret dope tests.”
All-rounder Yasir and paceman Sami will join their team in Jamaica later this week after getting clearance from the International Cricket Council’s technical committee, Mir said.
Pakistan is placed in Group D along with host West Indies, Ireland and Zimbabwe with top two teams going through the Super Eight stage.
Pakistan had already lost another bowler, Abdul Razzaq, after he suffered a knee injury during practice. He has been replaced by all-rounder Azhar Mahmood.
Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer termed Shoaib and Asif’s absence as a major blow for Pakistan. “Its a big blow and I feel sorry for both Asif and Akhtar for missing such a big event,” Woolmer said.
Woolmer said Pakistan had done well in the past without these two bowlers like the one against Sri Lanka last year and against India in 2005. “If we can replicate those performances with the same unity and spirit, we can do well.”
Pakistan will also miss the services of hard-hitting batsman Shahid Afridi for the first two group games against the West Indies and Ireland over a violation ICCs code of conduct during the series against South Africa.
Squad: Inzamam-ul-Haq (captain), Younis Khan, Mohammed Yousuf, Mohammed Hafeez, Imran Nazir, Shoaib Malik, Rao Iftikhar, Azhar Mahmood, Danish Kaneria, Shahid Afridi, Umar Gul, Kamran Akmal, Rana Naveed. -—AP
Re: BREAKING NEWS: Shoaib and Asif OUT of WC
^ was there still some doubt in your mind?
Re: BREAKING NEWS: Shoaib and Asif OUT of WC
Barrister Shahid Hamid's statement is kinda funny. Shoaib didnt become injury prone because he was injecting something and then quit injecting it. He has been injury prone from the start of his career all throughout so you cant blame his latest injury on drug withdrawls.
Asif I believe is not even injured, he played all of South African series with that niggle and had no problems. If he wasnt 100 % fit there was no way he would have been able to bowl 10 staright over as he did in one of the ODI's. ALthough it was pretty stupid of Inzi to make him do that but the point is I dont think Asif is injured. I think there "secret test" came positive and the career saving thing to do was declare themselves unfit. I know it's a big blwo for the players as well but for Asif he has his whole career infront of him so he wouldnt miss as much as Shoaib who had this last chance to feature in a world cup for Pakistan.
Re: BREAKING NEWS: Shoaib and Asif OUT of WC
PCB Chairman blasts Speed, Symonds and Hayden over ‘irresponsible’ and ‘unwarranted’ statements that he felt breached the ICC’s code of conduct…
http://www.dawn.com/2007/03/02/spt3.htm
Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf has criticised the International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive Malcolm Speed for issuing a statement over the target dope testing during the World Cup, mainly in reference to the two Pakistan fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif.
Both Shoaib and Asif were been ruled out from the World Cup due to fitness problems on Thursday.
Talking to Dawn exclusively on Thursday, Dr Nasim said that he had written a letter addressing Speed over the issuance of his statement which has hurt him quite a bit. The chairman said that by giving the statement in public, Speed had himself breached the Code of Conduct.
“The matter regarding Shoaib and Asif is subjudice since the WADA has challenged the acquittal of two players by the PCB in the Court of Arbitration in Sports, hence the statement of Speed in public is clearly against the rules,” the chairman pointed out.
Dr Nasim said that the acquittal of Shoaib and Asif by the PCB was in accordance with the board’s anti-doping policy and no other institution had any right to intervene in its internal affairs.
The PCB chairman said Pakistan was only the fourth country - affiliated with the ICC - which has been conducting dope testing of players regularly and that shows how responsible it was in the anti-drug efforts.
The chairman said the PCB would be monitoring the ICC policy, both on random and target basis, closely during the mega event and it would not tolerate any discrimination in this connection.
Dr Ashraf also hit out at the two international players who on Thursday issued a statement against Shoaib and Asif over the doping tests. Without naming the players, Dr Ashraf criticised them and asked the ICC to take action against them as it was also a breach of code of conduct.
“I don’t want to mention the names of the players and their country but it is a fact their statement causes embarrassment, so the ICC must take action against them,” he said.
The PCB chief dispelled the impression that Shoaib and Asif were ruled out from the World Cup due to any fear of positive dope testing and added the decision was taken purely due to their fitness problems.
He said Pakistan had a firm stand against the use of drugs in the game and had adopted zero tolerance policy in this regard.
Re: BREAKING NEWS: Shoaib and Asif OUT of WC
Pakistan will probably finish 6th, behind Aus, SA, India, SL and NZ (in no particular order).
WI and Eng will finish lower.
Re: BREAKING NEWS: Shoaib and Asif OUT of WC
yar relax karoo saray...joo hogaa dekhaa jaey gaaa.... why is their so much negativity in the camp. we should support our team and wish them best of luck... whats the bloody point of lamenting Shoaib and Asif's exclusion. Inshallah our team will do their best and lets hope for the best !
Re: BREAKING NEWS: Shoaib and Asif OUT of WC
I wish Pakistan all the best and hope against hopes that we win the cup
I also think that PCB is being run by morons for the past many years. These idiots have no management experience and have no principles whatsoever.
Asif and Shoaib cheated. Both should have been banned for at least 6 months and that would have been the end of that.
The public would have lived with the fact that we lost because we did not have two of our best bowlers and the world would have respected Pakistan for their honesty.
Now we are the laughing stock of the cricket world who know that the only reason the two cheats are not playing is because of dope
Well done PCB
In the end good luck Pak and hope we make it at least to the semis
Re: BREAKING NEWS: Shoaib and Asif OUT of WC
Call me krazy but I still have high hopes for pakistan. we have pretty much same team who performed well in India without shoaib and asif. Now team having been thru these crisis will be united and shoaib's absence will bring healthy maahol in dressing room. I think his absence is the "true" blessing in disguise, and you thought it was Razzaq. :)
here is Ajmeri baba's predictions for worldcup
If pakistan makes it through super six, it will go on to play final against SA but will lose to SA in final.
* Sami will be the lead wicket taker for pakistan
Re: BREAKING NEWS: Shoaib and Asif OUT of WC
Shoaib and Asif need to apologise to the nation - Rameez Raja
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\03\03\story_3-3-2007_pg2_3
Interesting situation has developed here off late. You must have heard the news that Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif are not going to the World Cup. It seems that everyone is trying to mask the real reason, but I am pretty sure in my mind that it is because of the doping scandal. The drugs that they took are still over the required line and that is the reason why they are not going.
Now, my take on this is very straightforward – these two, because of their erratic behaviour in a game that is not dominated by individuals but is a team sport,*** have let the nation down, let inzamamul Haq down, have let the team down and they need to apologise to the entire nation. How long can we just go on hiding such things under the carpet?*** I think the cricket board has to come out honestly stating the reason why they could not make it to the World Cup.
These two players need to come out openly, cleanly, honestly telling everyone that they are sorry. They have let the passion of the entire nation down and it’s simply not acceptable. It’s a big blow for Pakistan and their chances and a big blow for Asif and Shoaib. It’s interesting how they handle this slur, I think they have to live with this slur for the rest of their lives. Asif may just recover technically because he is still young but Shoaib’s survival looks pretty bleak. He is the experienced hand, he is already in his thirties and has to fight really hard to come back strongly after this mess whereas I feel Asif may go on to handle this a little better than Shoaib.
It’s a big blow for Inzamam – just before leaving for the World Cup, in a press statement he was down and out clearly hit hard by this incident. What he has to do is forget about this episode, tell the boys that are available to him to not even talk about Shoaib or Asif; to tell them we have got a job to do and make most of each other’s skills and talent, that here is a big test for us to prove everyone wrong; to tell them we still are a force to reckon with, and we still have a realistic chance of winning the World Cup. It’s not going to be easy but at least that is how Inzamam should handle this rather dramatic episode.
Re: BREAKING NEWS: Shoaib and Asif OUT of WC
^
*I am pretty sure in my mind that it is because of the doping scandal. The drugs that they took are still over the required line and that is the reason why they are not going. *
You don't say. :D
Re: BREAKING NEWS: Shoaib and Asif OUT of WC
^ What is this guy on, Shoaib should apologise to the nation? Ask Shoaib, he will say the nation should apologise to him. 
Re: BREAKING NEWS: Shoaib and Asif OUT of WC
Re: BREAKING NEWS: Shoaib and Asif OUT of WC
Just have a little,…PATIENCE 
Re: BREAKING NEWS: Shoaib and Asif OUT of WC
Wow. Looking back at this thread.
Pakistan Cricket is definitely at the CROSS ROADS.
Will Shoaib be able to come back ? or will the NEW SETUP find some other genuine replacements.
Musharaf needs to get off his Johnny walker high and stop appointing idiots to PCB.