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Official says Akhtar and Asif are not in the clear

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) may be able to enforce the ban against doping-tainted Pakistani pacemen Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, the country's anti-doping tribunal chief said on Sunday.

"According to the WADA code they can apply for provisional suspension," barrister Shahid Hamid said in quashing suggestions the pair were now in the clear.

Hamid headed the three-member Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) tribunal which last month banned Akhtar for two years and Asif for one year, after the new-ball pair tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone.

Both bans were overturned by a committee headed by a retired high court judge earlier this month, which ruled the pair had not been fully educated about doping matters.

As a result, the PCB insisted the doping case was closed and that any action by WADA or the International Cricket Council (ICC) would not stop the pacemen from playing. Akhtar and Asif were included in their preliminary squad for next month's tour of South Africa.

However, Hamid said Pakistan was obliged to follow WADA rules.

"It is a fact that [the] Pakistan government signed the Copenhagen declaration in 2003, like other 186 governments, including 38 countries in Asia," he said.

"[The] Pakistan government has paid to WADA the annual and subscription fee for the years 2006 and 2007. This declaration, through culture and sports ministries, binds us to follow the WADA codes and under clause 13 of their codes, the WADA has the right of appeal against the decision of a national anti-doping commission whether it is done during the competition or out of competition," Hamid said.

WADA last week challenged the lifting of the bans in the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland, saying any overturning was against its code, a stance backed by the ICC.

CAS was expected to hear the case in the new year.
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