Shoaib and Asif to learn fate next week

The committee formed to handle the appeals of Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, the two Pakistan bowlers who were banned this month after testing positive for steroids, will reveal their findings next week.

Both players denied knowingly taking any drugs and filed an appeal against the ban. "We should give a final verdict on their appeals within a week," said Fakhrudin Ibrahim, head of the committee.

"In my opinion our decision should be final and binding on these players. But in the law you cannot say anything is final."

He added that the two players and their lawyers had been given a final questionnaire to fill in and return to the committee within two days. The PCB doping tribunal, headed by Shahid Hamid, banned Akhtar for two years and Asif for one year earlier this month.