On the other hand, two scenarios would cause them a problem. Firstly, if it turns out that the levels are higher than the last test. Secondly, if the result is lower but still high enough to be out of line with the decay curve of nandrolone metabolites. Under either of these scenarios their selection cannot be justified.

The decay curve, unfortunately, varies between individuals, which means that there might be a grey area.

The fact that neither of them has yet taken the test seems incredible, and conspiracy theories were fuelled by Shoaib's outrageous behaviour last week. The obvious concern is that Shoaib knows that the gig is up and is preparing his exit strategy.

But, like Inzamam, he is unlikely to play another World Cup. They have both tasted the bitter failure of 1999. This is no time for exits. It is a time for total commitment. Pakistan's focus must now be on pulling together as a team, putting past stupidity behind them, and ending this period of dispiriting, despicable, and relentless turmoil.

The first step, Mr Akhtar, is to stop taking the piss and start giving it.

Clearing the dope test is just the first step. Next is to see if he is injury free.
Thereafter the biggest challenge would be his fitness. No point taking a half fit Shoaib !

A fit and available for all games in the WC Shoaib is certainly an asset to the team.

Keeping him motivated is what the Captain, Coach and perhaps the board have failed to do.

Very harsh Kamran sahab, very harsh on Shoaib indeed. Especially with the last line in the comment.

Nonetheless, it's a cumulative effort by the team, coach, captain and the board to delay the test as much as possible, so whatever decay curve you are talking about with the drug level is given its longest run possible before the inevitable drug test.

In other news, India unveiled their Jersey and Australia's dismal performances with the ball has taken eyes off of Pakistan for the moment. (Although Australia were still amazing with the bat). SA has taken #1 spot thanks to in part by PAKISTAN since they lost the ODI series. Had we won, we would be taking over top honours, maybe, I think!!!... So for South Africa, thank Pakistan first before you thank Newxealand.

My thoughts on the WORLD CUP, it'll be tight!!! I mean the way Australia is finally falling from grace, India is building up, South Africa's balanced team aside from no spinner, and the heroics of Newzealand, well anything is possible. Let's not rule out Sri Lanka and West Indies either.

Where I put PAKISTAN in the mix, I don't know??? At this time, we ESSENTIALLY have an undecided squad of 15 and mostly unsure of who will actually be playing.

All things different but one thing remains the same. Pakistan is SHADY team. And a from FOREST GUMP "[Pakistan team] is like a box of chocolates, you neven know which one you are going to get?"...

Let's hope, while hope is still alive!

SAMI SYED from Toronto

Shoaib's loss can be managed by someone who is more accurate and economical than he is. West Indian grounds are small and 300+ totals will be the norm not the exception. So we dont need Shoaib to be hit around the park like Mcgrath has been in his recent outings, we would like Afridi and Nazir to fire and score quickly. If you can not score 350 and defend it you can not go too far in this world cup.

"stop taking the piss and start giving it." Well finally Kamran it seems you have lost patience with the poor misunderstood, mishandled, mismanaged, matchwinning, Shoaib Akhtar. The question I want to know is what took you so long.

I think the media and journalists in pakistan have had a large part in creating the situation with shoaib Actor. They have not only tolerated his excesses but proactively condoned. Everytime any form of punishment or penalty is threatened. They rise up in his defence not only him but also other so called useless Matchwinners.

For these Well Educated Enlightened journalists Shoaib represents the acceptable and modern face
of Pakistan. No doubt they feel very upset that there are players who have beards and represent an Islamic outlook. Shoaib for them is the perfect icon a James Dean Rebel With out a Cause Personality. And westernised lifestyle. I think what is needed is a cricket team and board with a professional attitude. And Journalists who dont have an Inferiority complex about Pakistans religious and Cultural heritage.

The main thorn in the Pakistan side has been lack of player discipline. Also the failure to punish any Misbehaviour by the P.C.B.

In the words of Mudassar Nazar "To stay in Power the Administrators befriend the players and use and manipulate them. They try to keep the players happy. So if the players revolt against a coach, who is being tough with them he is sacked."

Much already have been said and more will be said in future as well about Shoab's attitude etc but one thing which can make People of Pakistan forget his behaviour and other aspects of his personality by Winning us world cup.Go Shoab Go, crush toes of opposition batsman, We need that world cup again. No one will pinpoint any weaknesses in you, this nation is die heart patriotic,but win a world cup for them.

Salam Mr Abbasi,
Blood test will only judge the existance or otherwise of the banned substance, but how can we be sure that he will not let his country down with his silly rtaher ridiculous behaviour. I Think its the time to take some bold decisions, he should not be selected becuase he is sort of a disease which will cause problems when ever you will let him in,so get rid of him once for ever. He does more harm then good to the team.

The whole affair seems to be shady.
getting banned,appealing, ban gets revoked; the process seems not so transparent and gets uglier and uglier.

Nandralone can get into the system even with some prescription drugs for cold etc. but ignorance of law is excuse to no one.

But what is staggering is the reluctance of the players to get subjected to further tests. If they are not guilty, they don't have anything to hide.

your last statement, sums up the scenario pretty well!

shoaib akhtar will probably fail the drug test. thats why he isnt offering to give his urine sample. i dont like him and its time that we move on without him. same with inzaman. he is a great batsman but as a captain he has been inconsistent and now it is evident from the team's recent tours to england and SA that he isn't cut for the job. in order to be a successful captain, you need to have strategy when you play matches and execute those strategies well. inzaman doesn't have that in him; he doesn't any strategy for the team. he will most likely retire as he is 36 yrs old and will be finished with his career after this tournament.

AOA

Well there is not time to fight each other its time to play like a team like a fighting unit. Like a team of 1992 our team has to gel together and should fight like cornered tigers INSHALLAH they will succeed

ALLAH HAFIZ

saqib

Now that both were exonerated not for not taking nandrolone but for lack of knowledge and procedure, it is accepted that they are bound to have some traces. If the level is higher than WADA acceptable limits they should simply be withdrawn with a statement that the levels indicate no new intake but are not within limits yet. Sending them to the World Cup with unacceptable levels will give ICC the opportunity of testing them under WADA rules which will prove fatal to their careers. Lets hope it does not come to that and their tests come out clean.

I totally agree with you. I cant see pcb sending these two bowlers if they are not cleared from that test. I dont want to wake up during the world cup and read on cricinfo that Shoaib and Asif were found possitive for drugs. If they have it in their body, then please dont take them

I'd say ...piss off Shoaib, the sooner we get the "he is extremely important to us" mentality, the better.

Nandrolone stays in the system for up to a year, with people often testing positive after twelve months. The fact is, you don't take nandrolone by accident. Though it is often used to help increase healing rates, and to make the rehabilitation more quickly, everyone knows that it is the hardest anabolic steroid to get out of your system. I know this because I was prescribed nandrolone deconate for a shoulder injury sustained while training as a pro fighter. The silly reasoning behind this poor individual being unclear on the rules makes him sound like an idiot, and as we all know an idiot he is not. He got caught cheating, and a corrupt system let him off because they need him to bowl.

rev

"It is a time for total commitment!!" kamran, thats the last thing i expect from these disoriented and self-centered individuals called the pakistani team. personal agendas are always high on their list so im not really sure if shoaib would stop throwing his silly tantrums around. As for the results of the tests, whatever scientific theories might prevail,the truth is,they tested positive the first time around and they're still part of the picture so it goes without saying that those tests dont really count much. lets just wait and see wat drama PCB can conjure up this time. im waiting....

Both the bowlers have failed the drug test and it is unfair that they play.

Well put Kamran!!

The Pakistani public has been accused of not lending enough support to the World Cup team, being too critical and not standing by their men no matter what. Well, I think in order to lend support to your team you need to know who the team comprises of.

I just hope that all the drug test results are in soon and that all teh injuries are healed quickly so that we can know who has finally made the cut. Then we can start supporting them.

Most Pakistanis won't mind if Shoaib is banned if he is still found to have traces of the drug substance but the loss of Asif would be a greater setback.

I wouldn't be surprised if Shoaib starts a new career as a TV commentator. He would give good company to Rameez 'slipper' Raja. Having said that, Akhtar could easily continue in International Cricket as an Elite umpire. We haven't seen or heard the last of Shoaib Akhtar - what a superstar!

there is surely something not right that is why PCB is delaying shoaib and asif's dope test. It is time that we pakistani team need to look outside Shoaib after this World cup. He is not a team man and he doesn't play all the matches because he is unfit all the time. Kick him out of the team now before or after world cup for the sake of our cricet!!!

Tricky one this. I don't think they should have been alowed to play again until they proved pretty much 100% negative.

True they will be able to tell if they have since used the substance. But performance enhancing is performance enhancing. They should both have been "asked" to sit out remaining international fixtures until proven clean. Surely this is the honourable thing to do?

Although I must say that I am surprised that Shoaib bothered taking it at all, as he is always injured. Asif however is in great shape.

Real question is, who else might prove positive? And if so, what will the steps be?

There's a difference between self-pride and arrogance,assertiveness and aggression,having a good time after winning and doping up / partying,unfortunately he is guilty of all the latters ,start looking in other directions and towards 2011 Dr. Kamran Abbasi,Shoaib is done for!

Never has a man's piss been so important.

Others settling into a fast lane (less team Pakistan):
----------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Kamran:

Like all team supporters, you are keen to see the Pakistan team wear a settled look, earlier the better. There can be no two opinions about that.

However, it is disappointing to see matters lingering on till the very last. This could lead to chaos within the camp and less than a purposeful playing eleven towards the end.

PCB chief and others concerned with team selection are showing poor organizational skills when we see how other teams are settling into a fast lane and ready to fire off.

It will be of little practical use for team supporters to make any speculative guess here about the residual effects of concerned drugs such as Nandrolene or whatever.

The PCB hierarchy should take the best suitable course of action and utilize full resources including medical experts available at their disposal to ensure that key players affected previously come clean.

Just in case, the situation does not rectify itself, soon - the team has to move on like the stern reality in life (to see the demise of some key players).

Team supporters would have to accept this eventuality and come to terms with it.

I have some interesting comments on Shoaib's drug test but read this before teh drug issue.
The SOS by the chairman Dr. Nasim Ashraf inviting the past greats is simply a political stunt.

The invitation is a bit too late says Jawaid Miandad. However,. he has volunteered to help and advise anyone who calls him and ask for help in his batting technique.

Wasim Akram has welcomed the invitation. Imran is non- committal but he has been critical of selection sying there was no strategy or planning.

It may be noted that they will also invite Hanif, Mushtaq and Zaheer but they have omitted Waqar Younus and Sarfaraz Nawaz. Both of them have been active in training the fast bowlers, while Waqar was under contract with the board, SARFARAZ was helping Shabbir probably on his own and helped with his action the get the ban removed from him.

It is my conclusion that Dr. Ashraf and the board is clearly run on likes and dis-likes with the Imported English coach playing his very English-like role of divide and rule.
He has avoided to invite people who have been openly critical of him. Like Waqar, Sarfaraz, Moin Khan, Rashid latif and Aamir Sohail.
Both Shoaib and Asif will pass the dope test, even if there are minor traces of the banned substance they can determine that they have not taken any more banned substance after the last test. It is my reasoning after the test Shoaib may have to take the steroids as it will help him to regain fitness and back to his speed. ICC will conduct some random tests and all the previous defaulters like Shoaib, Asif and Shane Warne are on thier list.

What a sorry mess this is.

What is the ICC policy if you fail the test, but the levels of the substance are in line with what you would expect of someone that tested positive a few months ago? i.e. is testing positive an issue even if there is no proof that you've been at it again, after the previous test?

This becoming ridiculous. All of us die hard fans are having to watch our cricket side going down to the ground. Its amazing how things change. A few months ago Pakistan looked like the team who would take the World Cup this year but how far backwards have these events taken us?! 3 Resignations, 3 Bans,2 of them under influence of drugs, and that Hair incident. Everyone behind the curtain need to be slapped.

Meanwhile we just wait...and wait....and wait...

Is it not obvious that both shoaib and asif are guilty of drug taking.
I mean it does not take sherlock holmes to relasie they and the PCB are purposely delaying the tests and keeping their fingers crossed that the drugs have no traces left.
The pointers simply point to the obvious.
1) PCB asking for time to delay declaring the WC squad.
2) Asif and akthar running all over the world on one pretext or the other ,but not having just about 10 minutes to give some urine sample for the dope test.
It is clear that PCB know that ICC dope test will reveal their coverup last time and so all this delaying tactics.

Pakistan simply cannot win without shoaib. I pray to God that all goes well and he makes it to the West Indies. Then we can look forward to and exciting world cup, with batsmen with fear in their eyes, with the likes of Shoaib, Lee, bond and Tait coming for the kill, look out Lara and company. Please be good Shoaib, I am your numbeer one fan and i want to see you.

I totally agree, Mr. Akhtar should end the ongoing debate whether he'll play the World Cup or not, if he is aware that new test will again be positive he better avoid it. Its better to miss the World Cup and play therafter for few more years rather than facing a BAN.

Since the tests are being conducted by the PCB once again,isn't there a possibility of them once again exonerating the players as they are crucial to the team's World Cup chances?

First of all, I am sure you meant the bitter failure of 2003, for 1999 is still termed a success notwithstanding the embarassing final. Also, I am curious to see how the next few days leading up to the World Cup unravel for it is a soap opera really when it comes to Pakistan every time. Hoping to see Shoaib Akhtar though, as he will be a key to Pakistan's success even if he only plays a couple of games (just need to make sure they are the big ones) and lets hope that the next controversy regarding him is about how he sipped chai from the cup before inzi.

Pakistan cricket has lot of problems since 1992 world cup, such as politically, fitness and teamwork. Now days with shoaib akhter and Mohammed Asif has fitness problem. If shoaib and asif will fail in testing, its mean that Pakistan Cricket will have worst time. We have seen that no one player (Sindhi or Balouchi Speaking) in squad for 50 years, it’s called political problem. More than 70% player coming through money, so how we can think that Pakistan is perfect team for world cup, I called it a team without law.

Things have come to a sad pass. For all his outlandish behaviours over the years the road is fast coming to an end for Shoiab. Some mess are too hot to handle, even for people like Shoaib who like it hot.
Pakistan should not be "pissed off" by the fact that it looks likely it will have to play the World Cup without Asif and Akhter. They should give their best, no matter what resources they have on 13 March. Robert Frost, the American poet, once said the only reality about life is that, "it goes on".

This has been a hot issue for the last 2 months and now its on its peak which is understandable.

Shoaib knows that his blood still contains nandrolone thats why he is releuctant to give urine sample thats why he went to uk to meet a specialist sports medicine physician. and iam sure that he must have given him some kind of medicine to shoaib to wash out the remaining particles of nandrolone(same case applies with asif, as he is also in uk)and if the doctor approve that now its ok than pcb would be able to send his urine sample to malBut aysia.

My question is ,incase if he would be able to play after clearing from this dope matter, the controversy of bob woolmer saying racist comments to him, dont u people think that this will disturb the whole dressing room environment especially shoaib's performance( if he play).???

Irrespective of his drug test result. He must be kept out of team for life.

There are many good reasons other than drug test to debar him for life from playing any class of cricket.

Yes, it is really rediculus that they can banned be for life....there is no such law in the world which can justify to punish a person for the same offence for which he have previously been acquitted...PCB should have clearly stated tht we are testing weather the levels have decreased to the acceptable levels..we are not checking them that they positive or negitive....it is really embassing tht PCB is dealing with things so poorly..GOD help PCB and Pakistan cricket..

First of all, I would like to say that how stupid were these two (Shoaib & Asif). Shoaib is a veteran now and he should have abstained from taking (desi Kushtay) nandrolone. Asif is also playing at international level. They should have known the pros and cons of taking such drugs. And the House of Fools is really the Pakistan Cricket Board. What kind of Non-sense and illiterate people are the people of PCB. Since the tour of England, a series of non-stop, non-sense comedy is being televised live all over the world courtesy of Pakistan Cricket Board. I never played "hard ball" cricket all my life, but I know that if a team depends upon fast bowlers for its bowling attack, then if they do have a bowling coach, they should go for a former fast bowler. In that case, it was waqar younis but they opted for Mushtaq Ahmed who was a great leg-spin bowler. This is one of the non-sense act of PCB. There were several others, I donot need to mention it. People like salim altaf who never had such brilliance in their bowling like waqar, imran or waseem, express their frustration of life by trying to insult great bowlers like waqar. About Inzi, well in my opinion he is a great batsman but his leadership skills are zero. He is not dynamic, he just have a static plan which he doesnot want to change according to the current requirement of the game.
Pakistan is a very talented team. All that is required is to gather together and play for the nation's pride. And please "House of Fools", no more non-sense at least for next 3 months.

I think it is another silly step by the Cricket Board to delay the Dope Tests of Shoaib Akhtar and Muhammad Asif. This will keep the air of uncertainity prevailing over the team. They should try to get over with it as soon as possible, for the betterment of the team. As for Shoaib's future, it will largely depend upon the test results and his attitude and performance in the world cup. We can just hope for the best, but perhaps need to prepare for the worst!

how does it even matter if he is proven guilty of taking prohibited drugs. Pakistan cricket board will still allow him to play.
Since the effect of this test is nothing. there is no point in performing these test. Let him take drugs and play.

Dear Kamran Bhai,

Yes, I agree with you that Mr. Akhtar should stop taking the piss.

By the end of the month when the results of their test will come out, I am sure, there would also some controversy creep up as Nandrolone metabolites will be there in the body of two duo as per the experts. It is a catch two 2 situation for Pakistan Cricket. The batting is definitely a worry for the team and their strenghts have been in the bowling department and if the duo not cleared, they the chances of winning the world cup is bleak. Inzi is also out of form. Not to mention in the last world cup he was horribly out of form and was not aware what to do. I suspect he is feeling pressure of WC, but in the first appearance he had done a wonderful job for the nation. He should believe in himself, bury the hatchet with Mr. Akhtar. Nation first....

Whether Shoaib Akhtar is found to have taken any banned substances before the world cup or not I find irrelevent, he has already been busted once, so why hasn't he been banned? In England last year Pakistan walked off the ground sparking all sorts of controversy involving Darly Hare and the PCB getting most upset that they had been accused of cheating. Well, has it not been proven over quite some time that they do cheat,take for example the scuffing of the pitch incident that occurred in Pakistan, again against England straight after the Pepsi drinks carrier exploded sending people scurrying everywhere for fear of a terrorist attack, meanwhile a certain Mr Afridi was scuffing up the batsmans crease and if not spotted by Kevin Peitersen then this would have gone un-noticed, is that not cheating? I for one am a little tired of the sub continent national cricket sides getting there own way in most matters involving the ICC. I understand that the Sub Continent sides are a force to be reckoned with in international cricket but enough is enough we must have rules that apply to everyone not just some that choose to abide by the rules. After all, Warney got banned. And he didn't even do it, it was his Mum!!

Yeh that should be the case. If amount of nandroline is less and going down compared to previous test, they should continue to play as the case is currently filed in Sports Court. And as long as the case is there, they cant be guilty so you cant blame a player guilty unless proven guilty.

Amir.

The all fuss has been created by PCB itself since they have not been able to manage the selection and top tier of pakistan team including the coach.
Had we got some good players as replacements then every body could have been tight enough to think only cricket. We rely on those who creatre more troubles. Mr. coach seems to be more thinking over his sojourn to England now and is least interested. Shoiabs exclusion from the side would be the last nail in the coffin.

Dear Kamran.
It is still "an internal test" conducted by PCB itself and PCB, we know, can do anything it wants with the results. There is still some time when the players would be tested by the ICC during the World Cup and thats where it matters. Pakistan has done the "Worst Possible Preparations" that someone cannot even think of for the world cup. After all these problems, I think that its the players' duties to the nation to get some pride back. They owe it to us.
I will back my team. Lets's see what comes out.
What amazes me is this! When Pakistan lost the world cup 1999, players were blamed and thrown away. In 2003 again most of the players were kicked away. We have never heard of the PCB officials being held responsible. Afterall they are the selectors and they are supposed to "MANAGE" things and matters. Actually its the PCB that causes differences among the players and I personally think that this present regime of PCB should be thrown away. Totally.

I am a bit confused. I did talk to few medical specialists down here in Brunei Darussalam. They were telling me that the nandrolene takes about 2-3 months to get away from the body. We were discusiing the Shoaib and Asif case and they came to the conclusion that it will be impossible that the test will be positive if they are being tested now. Is there any expert who have more information regarding this? Please share with us.

I dare to say Mr. Abassi you've picked up a few tricks from Shoaib here and there...

I think the issue was mishandled right from the word go, but unfortunately it had the judicial touch of Pakistani system, which is really not acceptable anywhere else in the world. I am of the opinion that we should just drop the idea of playing Shoaib and Asif in the world cup and go on with the game.

Absolutely i agree with u mr. kamran i think shoaib shud stop talking and let his bowling do all the talking. he is no doubta an essential component if pakistan r to win the world cup and he shud realize that cricket and his supporters have given him so much.may GOD give him enoughf brain to think of this and work hard and finally i feel that whenever an asian is involved in any scandal the icc seems to target it.i think that icc shud not interfere too much in these issues and i strongly feel that what ever may be the report for the dope test for shoaib and asif both of them shud paly as they have been cleared of any wrongdoing.

As a pakistani team supporters we can just pray for Shoaid and asif.And if they would clear from dopping issue then no doubt we will go into the world cup as a favourite team..

Mr Abbasi , This derailed person is bwtter to be called now " KHATARA MAIL " rather than what he has been given the so called nickname . I do not quite Agree with your last sentense , in my humble opinion he MUST stop the act of pissing around and realised that the Pampers of Gen TZ & his croonies are gone and if he does not piss properly under the given rules , he will only have more dirty linens around him . I must say again , this Primadonna Pampered soul must be shown the gate for ever and there is no better way to do it ,, TEST His own intakes and give him a kickback and shown the gate if he proves Positive again , or wrap him anotrher pamper & hope that he delivers the good for the full period of the WC 2007 , there is no middle road I am affraid , else the whole country & the nation will be looked at a loughing stock ...

I love reading your articles and you are always hitting the right targets. I am great fan of Inzamam & Shoaib and undoubtedly they are best in business when they are in sound conditions. I am wondering whether they are still capabale of handling pressure situations specially Inzamam. I strongly belive that he should prove is critics wrong by batting at no 3 position in world cup and that is the best place for him. He should stop sending youngsters up the order and should hold his young guns for the hitting. This is the best thing can happend for Pakistan team. I will add one more thing that Pakistan can only win World Cup provied Asift,Shoaib & Gul are fit or atleast two of them, if not then we should not have any realistic hope for good showing in World Cup.

With each passing controversy, the image of Pakistani Cricket sinks further. As an Indian Cricket fan, I have long admired Pakistan for the number of great players they keep churning out. While talent is unquestionable, the cricket administration is the worst in the world and has no credibility whatsover. I am sure we are going to witness another cloak & dagger episode in Pakistani episode.

I agree there with you Kamran, Shoaib's behaviour is unbecoming any cricketer from Pakistan for probably a long time if not ever. I realise he is (or should I say was) a superb talent for Pakistan cricket and that he is the fastest bowler in the world, but his drug tests have put a question mark over his own ability without any drug abuse to bowl as fast as he has uptil now. I would not classify him as a champion bowler, in terms of averages, or records, just as the "fastest" bowler in the world. I think after seeing his latest concotions in dawn, I must say he is not deserving of any place in the Pakistan team, under Inzamam or post Inzamam. His allegations that the racist abuse was in front of the rest of the pakistan team is unbelieveable, as its a huge question why the rest of the so called "blackies" in the team did not protest over that abuse. Positive or not, his drug tests would only prove his own innocence. It would not make any difference to the Pakistan side unless the selectors put him into a place he does not deserve. Shoaib is good as a player, but as part of the Pakistan team, he has proven himself to be a bad team player. Thank you Shoaib for all your efforts and you deserved all you attained, As far as I am concerned, until there is drastic change in your attitude, you are history. PCB treated Shoaib like a king when they could have spent all that effort on Saqlain Mushtaq's rehabilitation. Sadly, our beloved Saqy is going to be playing for another country because of the mistreatment handed out to him. Umar gul, Asif, Sami, Shabbir, Rana, and a big quandary of others means we dont really need Shoaib. He can go to Bollywood now. :)

Shoaib & Asif should not take the risk of a lifetime ban by taking the dope test. Pakistan, in its present make up, does not stand a chance of making to the last four, let alone winning the world cup. The way I see it, Inzamam, Younis Khan, Abdul Razzak, Kamran Akmal, Rrna Naveed, Mohammad Sami and Mohammad Yousuf are not likley to be fit for the next world cup. In fact it is quite possible to see new and young players repalcing some of these players. It would be more beneficial for Shoaib, Asif and Pakistan to have him play with some of the new players for the next couple of years rather than be out of the team completely.

now that inzimam has stated in his recent interview that inclusion of asif and shoaib would be the most important thing, so that settles that there is no conspiracy. and looking at the pakistan bowling in southafrica i ahve to say it that akhtar and asif are the primary bowlers(others being tids bits)

I will be the first one to say, I think Shoib should have been banned long ago,The drug incident just not acceptable.But How on earth, You are
going to convict a person twice for the same reason.That is just not fair,unless it is proved that he took it again.Pakistan medical team and cricket board is responsible for Asif's case.No drug education and a company like Shoib can be bad.Cricket is not everything ,Shoib is a very bad example for our youth.

it was very shocking to see that shoaib and asif had been allowed to play cricket a couple of months after the doping scandal.if pcb was playing so safe with shoaib and asif at that time,then what is the point of conducting a dope test just a few months after the incident as it is pretty obvious that traces of the drug will still remain in thier bodies.pcb should have handed the incident over to the icc as they would have taken appropriate action.
harish,bangalore,india

I dont see the point of testing these two players.They might have some amount left over from before,so is our board deliberately trying to end him now,how dare he pick a fight with the coach?and ofcourse the captain?

I think that both Shaoib & Asif should not go for the test if they and thier physcian are not sure that whether the banned substance is still exists in thier bodies or not? because I feel that missing world cup is a still a better option then banned for life

yes, Mr Kamran u are right, but their is fear factor due to shoaib's attitude, all the PCB officals doesn't trust on him. this Fear makes them uncompfortable.
Also as u seen in India they are not taking Dope test of their players, that shows the real confidence.
Lets C what will be the results, Hope that all of Cricketers will pass it otherwise it will dim the charm of World Cup

why are they not giving the bloddy urine sample, they are attracting more eyes by behaving like such a loosers.

The test will prove that Shoaib Akhtar is a druggie. He can run all he wants, threaten to sue everyone in sight - but the facts speak for themselves. I'm pretty sure he went to London to get a secret dope test done from a non-wada affiliated lab - if the test came back negative then he would have rushed to Lahore and have his test done by the PCB - BUT as expected Im 100% sure the test came back positive and so Akhtar is continuing to look for excuses to avoid the drug test. One thing is clear, Akhtar is a cancer that will kill Pakistan cricket. The sooner he is tossed out on his ass, the better it would be for Pakistan cricket and for future generations of Pakistani cricketers.

I think that both Shaoib & Asif should not go for the test if they and thier physcian are not sure that whether the banned substance is still exists in thier bodies or not? because I feel that missing world cup is a still a better option then banned for life

Hi, its the first time i am writing on this blog
the other day i was reading the comments on here
and to be fair and lenient some of them are downright disgusting.How the hell and who gave us the right to criticize the Pakistan cricket team.
How good fans are we,especially the ones living in Pakistan.How many stadiums do we fill.How many of us do go to a test match. How many of us actually buy Pakistan kits?How many of our kids have posters of Pakistani players at home.How many of us have DVDs of Pakistani triumphs.HOw many of us went to the airport to congratulate this team when it came back from the INDIA tour.How many of us have praised them when they win and on forums.The answer To all would be close to zero.Look at how Indians treat their cricketers.They treat them like Gods when they win and then they fully have the right to criticize them when they lose.Have we earned that right.For Gods the IndoPak series in Pak is sponsored by an Indian Company how much do we directly contribute to what they earn.Heck some people here call the 1992 victory lucky because of the England game. Why are we becoming a country of losers because of this attitude,Never praise anyone else but jump the bandwagon when they are criticized. Shame on us.

BTW sorry for not any comments relating to the current entry but I guess the way you have summedit up doesnt need any commentary.
Hey and good job for this blog and keep up the good work

dear sir i agree with your comment what differance would it make if shoaib takes a leak or not .the point no pun intended is what is his frame of mind is he focussed on the game or not.we all realize that he cannot be a role model so take a leak sir and go and do what it is he does best i.e acting.i am unfortunately reaaly pissed-sorry sir

Interesting article! I can see why Shoaib and Asif have not yet given the sample but what surprises me is how Pakistani politics work and they have put Afridi there as a scapegoat so PCB can have excuse that all 3 are out of the country for various reasons.

As a Pakistani I hope for the best and that is no more headaches from Shoaib at this point and finally a chance to deliver after all the money that PCB invested in him. I can see this is his last chance. Shoaib are you IN or OUT!

It seems people have lost interest in Cricket or are they are mentally preparing themselves for the prospective debacle at the world cup?

Agree with Kamran. Too many conspiracy theories floating around which cannot be good neither for the morale of the team nor the nation. We hear Shoaib is in London - then someone sees him in a party in Karachi this last weekend. Where ever he is - I'm sure glass bottles are readily available. So Mr. Akhtar - We're fed up of this embarassing crisis. It's time to go take a leak.

I have been wondering the past month with all the talk about life bans if the tests to be conducted would take into consideration the fact that these atheletes tested positive around six months ago for a banned substance. I think the real question here is: is the PCB smart enough to raise this point?

Its common sense that if these atheletes tested positive the substance will not disappear overnight unless they take some masking substance. However does the PCB have enough collective brains to point out to the world this particular fact and to hilight that levels of the drug have dropped in both the bowlers by a certain amount (proportional one can only hope) which in turn justifies their inclusion ibn the World Cup. If the levels found are below the accepted levels we see no problem however even if higher by 0.1% does the PCB have the smarts to explain this to the ICC or WADA? Further if they do test positive, however with lower levels in their systems, will the PCB still be able to argue that the players have been cleared locally pending an appeal and till the appela hearing takes place any action taken against them can not be justified.

We know they tested positive and are pending an appeal so they shouldn't be tested infact the only reason they can play is because of the ICC law which permits a player to play before his appeal is heard and a decision taken so wouldn't testing them be a futile or fruitless exercise? End of the day does it even matter how they test? they are waiting a hearing to decide on their guilt or innocence.. if found innocent then regardless of the amount of banned substances in their bodies ICC or WADA can not prevent them from participating in any competition.. so why are we making such a big deal about this?

dear sir i agree with your comment what differance would it make if shoaib takes a leak or not .the point no pun intended is what is his frame of mind is he focussed on the game or not.we all realize that he cannot be a role model so take a leak sir and go and do what it is he does best i.e acting.i am unfortunately reaaly pissed-sorry sir

The most important question in this regard is that ,why the PCB is insisting for the tests after all the trial they had already done on the two of Pak Cricket's match winning players? Does PCB not aware of the results?
I think they have already planned the whole new episode of the drams which had already brought disgrase to Pakistani Cricket. The management of PCB is surely just doing the unplanned, nonsense and stupid kind of things and not at all learning from their mistakes. Knights of Pakistani Cricket once again in process of producing a new thriller .I think every-one knows the sad ending of it.

Kamran i really cannot understate the extent to which I, and hopefully the entire nation are in agreement with you. Asif does not bother me for some reason... and with Shoaib the worry goes to the extent of detecting yet another substance. If it Shoaib's test falls to the wrong side of the grey area a life ban seems like a light punishment. Rather he should be publicly flogged at Kalma Chowk Lahore for having let a country down. I am sure there will be ample wanting to loosen their armn before the get a chance to throw a stone at the devil during Haj. And heck it seems unlikely that many will find a diablo of the same claibre.

I said before...Let's root for England. They are going to be a fun team with players like KP and Collingwood and Flintoff who needs to see Akhtar or Razzaq or even Inzi. Yousuf bhai no problems with u though!

DOpe test positive or negative, I think Pakistan can ill afford to take chances with injury prone and temperamental Shoib.He is of doubtful integrity. His record in WC shows that he can leak runs in crucial matches. Moreever he is terribly out of match practise.He does not share good rapport with captain.
Pakistan shall perform well minus Shoib.
Asif is doing really well, I think he is innocent ans shall come clean.
Asif-Gul-Kaneria-Sami attack is also high class.

The only match winer Pakistan have got is Shoaib Akhtar. If he is not playing who will be: Rana - look at his perfomance in SA he got crushed. Rao, I dont think so and Umar Gul - not fully developed yet . SO Shoaib is the key to Pakistan wining the world cup!!

actually green tighers are unpredictible if they are commited then they can kill any team.They got best math winner tighers

Well this whole doping issue is yet another saga in the whole shoaib akhtar legend. I say whatever the result is, it better comes out fast and everyone moves on.
I'm no medical expert and i cant only quote what i've read in the reports about Nandrolone. The board is stalling the tests which means there is a high probablity the traces of Nandrolone are still present, it's time that Shoaib comes clean, not just for the world cup but for his own sake, i dont say that he's guilty or not, but to be honest it's hard to deny when some new controversty crops up virtually everyday. Shoaib is a match winner but what good is one if he dosent plays fair and square, i seriously dont know what to say, weather i'm making sense here or not....i dont know, but i guess i'm in the same position as PCB and the rest of the pakistani nation. God bless us.

don't you think there are private tests going on in the background of all this? and if those private results are encouraging, then PCB will make them go through public tests?

Well I read the comments of allmost every person some persons have realy given the stupid comments about the Shohaib Akhtar. Actually they dont have the cricketing brain as well as awareness about the dope tests. They are just the sentimantal fool.Why should we do the wrong step, Why shohaib is under the punishment of the cricketboard, the board is in the hand of stupid people, We saw in the England series when they just did the step at the wrong time, Now every writer is pressing the Shohaib Akhtar, Its not the time to do that. I remember in 1999 world cup when Pakistan team was playing very good and in the final they suddenly got out under 200 just becuse of the stupidity of the media and writers and those writers did not belong to the other countries infact they belong to Pakistan. They demoralized the Pakistani team by giving there comments about the match fixing, and in a way Pakistani players didnot bear the pressure of that and lost the match. Now every one is blaming Shohaib, just demoralizing the whole team, despite the fact that in westindies only that team will win who have the strong bowling line. And shohaib can give Pakistan the win by his bowling. Just stop these stupidity and let him to play in the worldcup if the court allowed him to play then who the hell you are to give the comments on the shohaib Akhtar. Dont give such a stupid and Rubbish comments on the Shohaib Akhtar, He is not my relative and neither I am his big fane but I just talk on the basis of justice and the justice tells us that he deserves to play. And every country knows that how dangerous he is.

hey marty boy dont lets forget ure very own micheal atherton rubbin some vaseline or somethin on the ball eh!

I would like to see him banned for life who always brought a bad..bad reputation to a gentleman's game. He is no good to himself except womanising, drinking and shouting at others.
He is a very low class sportsman who is the WORST bowler in the history.
GET RID OF HIM AND HIS ABUSE.

very tuff time for pakistan team.this last WC for inzi as well for shoaib .i dont think that they will play after WC.so we need shoaib despiertly
for this WC at any situation.b/c pakistan has not a best back up bowlers.Asif is a very good bowler but not in the death overs.only shoaib is the best at that time.so hopley will shoaib in the Wc.all nation pray for him this crushal time .

Well ... I think Shoaib will be found soon in the Bollywood ... Hope he has the same controversial time there as well ...
Asif ... If he is not there in the Carribean ... Who cares ... It is not One Man Show ...
I think Fazl-e-Akbar is a great swing bowler ... He should have been checked!
Also Muhammad Irshad is a regular 90+ bowler and still not been in the sight!

Shoaib Akhtar is a very very experience bowler.Without Shoaib the bowling attack of Pakistan is very weak.Mohammad Yousaf,Inzamam,Younas and Shoaib Akhtar are the main players of Pakistan so in absence of these players winnig of World cup is impossible.In my opinion Imran nazir and Shoaib malik are the best openers for Pakistan along with Yasir Hameed is well.

You can love him or hate him but can't ignore him. That's Shoaib for you.

I am really surprised that most entries in the comments section have ignored Asif completely. Shoaib, even if he avoids the ban, will at best play for a couple of years with injuries, attitude problems and the entire circus of tantrums. He has not been of much use in the recent past and will not be of much use in the future.

You should actually worry about Asif. He has a great career to look forward to and long one as well, if not mismanaged by PCB. Please 'handle' him well and manage the dope controversy. Letting him be in Shoaib's company in London is a downright disaster. Doesn't Pak team have a physio and / or a trainer? What are they doing when your most valuable future prospect is in London for treatment in the company of a self-terminator.

vikas, delhi

Its pretty obvious that Shoaib will not be going to the WC. Like Kamran says that he preparing his exit strategy. I think he knows very well that he is going to test positive and needs a dignified way out which isnt going to happen

What is the point of any of the Pakistan team taking doping tests as they can simply say they were unaware of taking the drugs and so be let off and be free to play.

Mr.Abbasi Akhtar is a world-class fast bowler but like many of our countrymen he is a egotist.I believe if he had put contry before self he would have been a greater bowler;the mental factor will also have spurred him to greater efforts and possibly the same will have kept him safe from injuries.At the momemt we have a team in disarray,spineless,feeble and lacking the motive to win.This is where the likes of Imran Khan,aggresive and positive, could change the whole outlook of a team and matches.Shaid Afridi showed us an example when he mauled South Africa,think what can happen if all the team had the same mentality!!Shoaib Akhtar can provide the motive...now it is up to him...Shoaib Akhtar or our soni dharti...i hope he realises how much we think of him despite his antics.There will be no better way to say farewel to international cricket than win the World Cup...all will be forgiven...yes we all forgive even the most egotistic of all our companions if they give Pakistan glory.I am still praying for our boys!!!

I think i'm ready to quit watching cricket, don't know if i can really support any other country, even though i'm not a Pakistani, Í've always supported Pakistan.

Over the years the Pakistani team, administration, and players were ever so often in the headlines for the wrong reasons .......... but we as fans always had hope that things would change

Nothings changed, same problems only different actors. Shoaib Akhtar as talented as he may be is just a disgrace, theres no place for him in cricket, and i'd be the happiest person if he were to get a ban. Yes we have made him an integral part of the team and he is undoubtedly the most talented bowler in the world at present.

What good is a Ferrari on a long road trip travelling 250 km's per hour for 15 minutes and then breaking down 'with no parts in sight and no chance of road side repairs, whilst you actually require to be doing 1000 km's...... Honestly you'd get to your destination quicker in a toyota travelling at a 100 kms / hour. Shoaib Akhtar is a high maintenance luxury that we can do without.

There must be an end result , a destination that we want to get too and we must use the right tools or vehicles or players to get there.

SHOAIB is just wrong for the long road, so dont waste time and energy throw in a youngster(please not rana or anyone like him) and carry on, and enjoy the beautiful scenary along the way ..... who knows we might even win the race.

POOR EXAMPLE, i know but i cant think of any other way of describing a beautiful unreliable machine.

Well , with or without shoaib and asif, with the present team , there is no chance of winning more thana few matches, let alone world cup.
So in my opinion, the whole setup to be sorted quickly, with a furure to look fwd. By the whole set up i mean the ill disciplined players,the money eating board officals and every body.

I think its a management fault in handling of Shoaib Akhtar case, we need people like Majid khan or Imran khan...who can tell players on their face that no one is bigger then a Game:)

the main bottom line as far as my views are concerned. Shoaib and Asif both will not be able to play in the world cup 2007 at all. WHY? well its simple if they give there urine samples for doping test, traces of nandrolone might still be found in there blood even though the quantity found might be lower than found before but still enough to test positive again because the nandrolone traces will remain till after a few months since taken. So by this they will not make it to the world cup team and might even be banned for life or watever immediately. In the second case, if they dont do the dope test they will not be taken in the Pakistan squad. and the third case is that even if they make it to the squad somehow without undergoing dope test then the ICC and WADA will get a fair and good chance to target both asif and shoaib during the worldcup and they might do there dope tests which if they fail might be just that ICC/WADA would wish for but also there is a chance that till that time period the traces of nadrolone might also vanish and clear up and the careers of shoaib and asif could better be saved and they could continue playing. BUT all these are offcourse just asumptions so we will have to wait and see wat the PCB does in the first place. Apart from all this they might be carrying injuries also which will automatically rule them out of world cup 2007. Hence see all the above facts, i say shoaib and asif would not be seen in world cup 2007 at all not matter what happens and the only percentage of them to play are as minute as only 1% at this present time unless they do something drastically magical to clear up the traces of nandrolone left in there bodies privately.

ATIF YOUSUF.

I think Shohaib Akhtar should be allowed to take performance enhancing drugs be it nandrolone, steroids or uranium from the planet mars. How else are we going to see such a treat a bowler who bowls at 95+ miles an hour. I dont know about you but I want Shohaib to break the 100mph barrier which he broke in the last world cup against England in only his second over. Come on Shohaib we love you juice baby.

As i said before, PCB give the fans some cherishment by banning Shoaib themselve, before ICC ask to do so...or his disaster career end seems to be inevitable after the world cup...i totally agree with farhan, PCB should leave their majestical behaviour towards shoaib and its a pity they let off the real legend saqlain mushtaq in disconcert when he needed them (PCB). Its a dig which the PCB theirself soughed now be ready to have it. Its a pity how Dr Ashraf took over to shehryar khan, and made such a pompous remarks about revolution in cricket, i am proud to say that i dint watch the last 2 matches of pakistan with south Africa and planning the same for WorldCup...

The possibility that Shoaib and/or Asif could still fail a dope test highlights the ridiculous decision to overturn the initial bans. Given the sort of excuses that sportsmen the world over come up with for illegal substances being in their bodies (almost always blaming someone else- trainers, coaches, friends spiking drinks, your mum), the zero-tolerance approach is the only way.

This case has been judged on the personalities involved and not the offence. If it was Shabbir or Sami, I guess the bans would still be in place.

In short, it is pointless testing these 2 bowlers for drugs for a while, which defeats the whole point.

well folks! i dont think there is any thing to fight on. every board tries to defend their players. once they have been verdicted free of all charges now board would want them to pull out of all this. there may be remainders of drugs and to let those vanish from their boddies is not any thing which should make us so horrible that we start commenting like Mr. abbasi. of course board want the tests to keep them away from ICC sword. if they found any remainders of substance they will not let them play w/c and thus they would not be tested by ICc. i just cant understand that y we are crying on each and every move. every thing is wide open. both of them are crucial for team and no team would like to lose such players. stop it all please.

I find it very hard to believe some fo the commnets posted here. Clearly a majority Pakistani fans who have absolutly no knowledge about the game. Shoaib Akhter is a winny primaddona..no doubt..but without him...Pakistan is nothing! Just think about the test series and one day series in South Africa. He bowled only 11 overs but the Safies were rocked. Without him poor Asif was reduced to a donkey dragging grain all day. The Pakistani nation loves to deride their heroes. At one time Wasim Akrams dad was kidnapped so we have a history. Shane Warn took illicit substances I didn't witness the Aussi press and public hound him like a dog. He also had extra marital affiars etc... but in Australia they respect him for his cricket. So maybe we should all wake up and do the same. If anyone writing these blogs was capable enough to do what Shoaib does then we wouldn't be writing we would be bowling at 100 MPH like he does. Most Pakis are not patriots just selfconscious and suffer from inferiority complex. So when we have a fiasco like the drugs thing we have to blow it up and ask for forgiveness and play out the drama on the world stage. Why do we have to do this. Why do we humiliate ourselves. Everyone hates PAKISTAN and PAKIS. HAtes us. And we add to that by hating and fighting amongst ourselves. Pakistan nation does not deserve 5hit~ Pak won the world cup in 92 because Imran commanded a unit through belief and character backed by the well wishes of a nation during Ramdan. Well we do not have any of that combination so ...either Pak team will shine like the stars they are or they will flop and disintegrate like they have been wont to do recently because their is no belief in them and in the nation most importantly.

Kamran, I always like your minblowing blogs. There is one topic you have not touched and its Pakistan Cricket Team Uniform. First Of all I am confused about its color. I dont think its green. whatever it is but it does not seems pakistani color. Secondly PCB is earing so much money but they never thought to modify this uniform, afterall these guys are represing our country. they are off color in their performance but at least we can make them look smart. I have seen in test matches, every guy wearing different brand of trousers with different logos. I would like you to write a blog about this in your commic way, it will be really nice.

I am extremely pleased to see the Pakistani team in disarray. Keep it up.

I am Brother of Shoaib now a days he is very upset. plz prey for him. hw want to play this World Cup. He is the only match winner bowler

if there is nothing to hide then take the test, simple. If you delay, then PCB must enforce. Cricket is bigger than any 1 player. paki supporters PLEASE support youtr own team, regardless!! this is your country, be patriotic!! i still support SA regardless of if they perform poorly or well!! australia have lost 5 in a row now BUT they will still be supported!! about 2 years ago SA lost 9 in a row BUT they were still supported by their fellow countrymen, we may have been upset BUT they stay our team!!

Half Fit Shoaib is better than fully fit Rana or Rao so lets hope that he clears the dope test. Right now thats the major problem.

Frankly i really dont give a rats ass about shoaib the piss artist. Baring a few good spells which can be counted on your fingertips all he has done is embarasses his team and the country. He should just take the test and if they do find traces of nandrolone or whatever they should ban him for life and close the shoaib chapter once and for all. As for Asif i would hate to lose him and given our current run up to this world cup i think i would rather not risk him at all. If it means losing a faint chance of qualifying for the finals and in return saving one of the finest bolwers we have for the next decade and a half then i would rather opt for that. There will be more world cups but if Asif gets a life time ban then we wont have his services for any of them. We screwed up once with the dope affair lets not do a repeat.

Dear Kamran:
I think instead of slamming Shoaib, as well as Asif, with the accusation of being "guilty" of using the dope the so-called 'nandrolone', you should have brought this matter in the notice of the ICC and WADA that both of the players are innocent. Now it seems funny but its logical.
Tell me how a poor guy like Shoab could have made a quick and healthy come back to the international cricket after going through multiple surgeries on his both knees? He used the medicine prescribed to him by his doctors not for the sole reason of taking steriods for enhancing his performance rather as a quick recovery from surgery. He loves cricket. He sure loves to play for his country as well. I am sure his statement to the doctors would have been," Hey doc.. Cure my injuries and make me fit and healthy as fast as you could. I wanna play cricket for my country. The doctor performs his duty and prescribes him the bestest drugs available in the market for a rapid recovery of a injury-torn-surgery-performed body." As far as Asif is concerned he went through the same phase that is, the acheivement of a fast rcovery from an injury.
You think had they known of the consequences of using the drugs having 'nandrolone' they would have still taken it? ..Never.
They were the victims of mis-informaion and they acted nieve. Now who to blame? PCB..? WADA..? ICC..? or the players themselves?
To my understandings, The ICC and WADA should adopt some strict measures for who ever is found to be guilty of using drugs for performance enhancement and on the other side they should be considerably lenient towards the cases of Shoaib and other Injured Players who took some doctor's prescribed medicine that contained the forbidden 'nandrolone'. So that means the medical doctors and experts should be held liable for such incidence as well since no one would be more aware of any such substances contained in medicines then they are.
Now why this all Bru Ha ha!! clouds of dope scandalls on their heads? If WADA or ICC banned Shoaib or Asif than they are proving one thing and suggesting that no one in the active world of cricket should try to use any medicine that can make their recovery from an injury or surgery faster. Is that all the fans around the world seek? not at all.. all they care is fun, thrill and solid competition and the WADA or ICC just make the things complex and bring disrepute to cricket look at the Barrel Hair case.. enough said.

I think Shohaib should be hailed a national hero which bowler in the modern history of the game has been able to bowl 90+ mph consistently throughout their career. Austrailia and New Zealand would love to think Brett Lee and Shane Bond have but the reality is they havent, they have been lurching in the shadows of Shohaib. Any other bowler who has achieved this feat is either retired or dead i think most are the latter.

shoaib just dosnt care any more by missing the drug test proved it...BIG HEAD

Cricket is an important sport for us in Pakistan and winning matches gives us a great deal of joy. I am though of the view that winning should only be through fair means and not with cheating and or manipulated performnace to get an unfair advantage. I believe Shoaib Akhter is a cricketer who has not been professional in his conduct over a sustained period of time. His fitness and injuries have caused alot of damage to Pakistan cricket. Now we have the drug related tests and his unwillingness to come clean with tests.
Paksitan as a nation should stand shoulder to shoulder with other member nations in the cricket fraternity to weed out cheats even if it means banning talented cricketers. Cricket will be the winner and PCB will come out the winner too. I am sure that Shoaib's inclusion will not win the World Cup and by the same token his exclusion will not mean Pakistan will necessarily lose the Cup.
Pakistan should participated with whatever clean resources it has at its disposal and let the result of the World Cup be in the laps of the Gods.
The problem has always been in Pakistan authorites that they make expedient decisions and seek to curry favours. Bold decision making has never been their forte and I do not see that changing anytime soon.
Ex-cricketers are not very helpful as most of them have their axes to grind and grind they do.

Shoaib is out of WC 2007. I am almost 100% sure about that. He does not deserve to be in the team due to his rediculous behaviour alone. I am positive Pakistan can do well without him.

I am more worried about Asif. His loss will be a greater setback for Pakistan.

I think if shoaib and asif gets postive tests and then they r not in WC so paks should better not to go far WC,because without asif and shoaib pak r very poor,they can bat but they have no options far bowling.This we saw allready in S.A how much trouble they got.I hope they these two guys r in without any problems.I agree that shoaibs behaviour is not so good but let me tell u one thing since we have new coach(Bob) why it gives allways problems,allways we have to listen that shoaib did this shoaib did that its not only matter that shoaib behaviour is not good,we should after WC change the trainer and as well as captian,its unbelieveble that they took spinner as a coach bowler.I hope they had learnt mistakes and wish them all the best far WC.good luck

Kamran I think that Pakistan selectors made a big mistake.I mean to say if shoib and Asif face the ban again,then there is no replacement in the team for the world cup.Why didn;t they select Shabbir who is probably the best bowler in Pakistan?And as we know that Rana has been expensive since last year and i think he has lost his accuracy in bowling and i think he will not be able to get wickets in west indies,it seems like Pakistan took a big risk which is devastating for team performance.

I think that shoaid should play reagalrdless, the world cup needs starts like this to make sure there is fire left for the suporters.

the present set of bowlers are piss poor to saythe least. Aif was useful in short spels, but no other could match him

Maybe we can do well without shoaib, but i really doubt it!

Yousoof

Shoaib Akhtar, at the end of the day is just a Paindu who knows he's a druggie and a charsi - so he's not going to take the test. Watch the drama in the next few days. He`s going to blame his knee, Bob, Inzy, the sun, the moon, the sky, his mom...anything he can say to avoid taking the test...he'll do. Because he knows he's history. The real fools here are the likes of Salim Altaf (a no-good cricketer who never did anything during his playing days) and Nasim Ashraf (who is just another one of Musharaff's lap dogs and doesent know anything about cricket). These 2 morons are trying to mis-lead the cricketing public into all kinds of nonense...first they said Akhtar had gone to London to consult a surgeon and would be back within 2 days, its now been over 8 days since that statement was made, then they said he was in Malaysia for a commericial, although people are saying he was in Karachi just 3 nights back. What kind of fools are these two, Altaf and Ashraff? Instead of making us the laughing stock of the world, and also showing the other players how the blue eyed boy of the PCB...ie Akhtar can continue to get away with breaking all rules and laws...they should have told Akhtar to get his fat ass back in town so they could check just how many steroids he had taken and end this fiasco that is his international career, once and for all. But no, what they did instead was make all the players who came from South Africa go to the Lahore stadium straight from the airport, to give their piss, while Akhtar continues to party away and the PCB looks the other way. Quite frankly, Akhtar and the PCB deserve each other. Both are fools.

What will Shoaib's drug test prove?

IT WILL SHOW PAKISTANI CRICKET PLAYERS REAL FACE FROM PAST TO PRESENT TO FUTURE

HA HA HAAAAAAAAAA