ICC President Percy Sonn comments on findings of Pakistan Cricket Board Anti-Doping Commission

ICC President Percy Sonn today issued the following statement after the release of the report by the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) Anti-Doping Commission into charges laid against fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif.

"I have read the judgement handed down by the PCB Anti-Doping Commission and feel I must commend the group for its work," he said.

"It is a good judgement, well written, very professionally done and they have made constant reference to the guidelines laid down in the PCB's anti-doping code. From an ICC perspective it is very satisfactory.

"It is a tragedy that the careers of two cricketers have been tarnished in this way but, at the same time, the judgement emphasises that cricket has a zero tolerance of drug use.

"That is the idea behind the ICC's drug-testing regime at all our events since 2002 and our adoption of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code in July of this year, and that idea of zero tolerance has to be the major message from this whole affair.

"The PCB has done extremely well in handling this matter in such an efficient manner and its strong stand against doping is a fine precedent.

"I would now urge all ICC Full Members not already engaged in their own testing regimes to adopt such a process as soon as possible so cricket can show just how committed it is to being known as a drug-free sport."

The PCB Anti-Doping Commission issued its judgement on Wednesday evening, banning Shoaib Akhtar for two years and Mohammad Asif for one year after both were found guilty of doping offences.

The Anti-Doping Commission announced the players have the right of appeal or review of their punishments.

Media note: both Percy Sonn and ICC Chief Executive Officer Malcolm Speed will be in transit for much of Thursday, en route from Chandigarh to Mumbai for the start of the ICC Executive Board meeting in the city on Friday morning.

As such they will be unavailable for further comment on this matter on Thursday.

The meetings of the ICC Executive Board and the IDI Board - ICC's commercial arm - are set to take place on Friday and Saturday, November 3 and 4, and will be followed by a media conference.

Details of the location and timing of that media conference will be announced in due course.