Drug duo may be let off lightly
Pti, Karachi
Barrister Shahid Hamid, who heads the drugs inquiry tribunal probing the positive dope tests of pacers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, has admitted there is a point of view that they should be handed out a punishment that makes them available for next year's World Cup.Hamid made these comments while responding to queries from a bench of the Supreme Court in Islamabad headed by Chief Justice Chaudhry Iftikhar Ahmed. Although Hamid appeared before the bench in connection with another case, the Chief Justice and other judges inquired from him about the doping case and expressed disappointment with the performance of Pakistan in the Champions Trophy. Hamid, a well-known senior barrister, told them there was a view to save the two bowlers for the World Cup but another view was to hand them out strict punishment for bringing shame on the country. Shoaib and Asif were recalled from the Champions Trophy in India two weeks ago for failing a dope test and testing positive for banned steroid nandrolone. The tests were conducted internally by the Pakistan Cricket Board so the punishment for the offence will be decided by the tribunal although international doping regulations warrant a two-year ban for a first violation.
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