Pakistan board blasts ICC's Speed
CricInfo reports:
Pakistan board blasts Speed's remarks
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has taken strong objection to the recent remarks of Malcolm Speed, the ICC chief executive, about Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif with regards to the doping issue, calling them "unwarranted" and "irresponsible". The board has sent an official letter of protest to the ICC.
Speed, while talking about the ICC's policy of targeted dope tests in the forthcoming World Cup, had called the whole affair of Shoaib and Asif continuing to play cricket after having tested positive for a banned anabolic steroid an "embarrassment" for the game.
Nasim Ashraf, the PCB chairman, told Cricinfo, that Speed's comments were uncalled for and inflammatory. "The board takes strong objection to the irresponsible remarks by Malcolm Speed to a case that is subjudice," said Ashraf, referring to the fact that the overturning of the bans on both players was referred to the International Court of Sports Arbitration by WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency).
"Both players were voluntarily dope-tested and withdrawn from the Champions Trophy after which the due legal process of the PCB's anti-doping code was strictly followed," added Ashraf. "They were let off by an appellate tribunal after which the ICC has admitted it had no legal grounds over the case. WADA has filed a case over it and the matter is now subjudice. These remarks then are utterly irresponsible and unwarranted."
Nasim Ashraf is right. ICC and Speed have been terribly irresponsible. In fact, ICC and Speed have brought the game into disrepute too.
1. ICC should have banned both the players - as soon as the results came out.
2. By conducting the doping Tests ahead of the ICC Champions trophy (where doping is an offence), PCB had pre-empted a mandatory ICC Ban. (The argument that both the players voluntarily dope-tested is a big joke)
3. ICC should have banned Pakistan for six months for bringing the game into disrepute. (If Zimbabwe could be suspended, why not Pakistan?)
Now that the Pot has called the Kettle black, it will be interesting if WADA would come down heavily on the ICC and PCB. Talking about Pot... In 1986, when Ian Botham confessed to smoking pot, which is not a performance enhancing drug (if at all, smoking pot makes your performance to go down!) - he was banned from all forms of cricket for six months by the then English board.
When Shane Warne was caught with diuretic in his piss at the beginning of the 2003 WC, he was duly banned for a year.
How the ^&*k can PCB and then ICC not take any action against the two players?
What Pakistan needs is players like Mohd Yousuf, who is an honest cricketer. The cheats and the cover-up artists have to be banned. Now.
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