Shoaib lodges appeal

Shoaib Akhtar, banned for two years for having tested positive for Nandrolone, has filed an appeal against the ban. "We have lodged an appeal to review the ban with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) through our lawyer Abid Hasan Minto and hope to hire some foreign experts to contest the case," said Tauseef Razzaq, Shoaib's doctor.

A three-member doping tribunal constituted by the PCB had banned both Shoaib and Mohammad Asif last week. The punishments came after internally conducted dope tests revealed that the A samples of both men showed excessive limits of the banned anabolic steroid, nandrolone.

The pair appeared before the tribunal and accepted the reports, declining to have their B samples examined. Earlier on Monday, Asif also lodged an appeal to have his ban reviewed. Shoaib reiterated that he was not guilty of intentional wrong doing. "I cannot say much at this time about what has happened but I just want to assure everyone that I am innocent of doing anything I shouldn't have," Shoaib said.

Shoaib insisted he would never cheat his opponents or team-mates. "I have always played the game fair and I give 100 per cent and do not feel that I need to take drugs to help my bowling."

The appeals will be heard by a new three-member committee set up by the PCB specifically for the purpose. It inclujdes former high court judge Fakhruddin Ibrahim (head of an earlier inquiry into match-fixing), former Test player Haseeb Ahsan and doping expert doctor Danish Zaheer. The tribunal is expected to meet next week.