Both Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammed Asif who were due to take a further drugs test this week (the rest of the squad took theirs last week) have been ruled out of the world cup through injury.
This is apparently completely unrelated to the fact that these two had previously failed drugs tests, but had been let off on technicalities by the PCB (presumably as they were too busy trying to forfeit test matches). I think it was Mohammed Asif's defence team who came up with the fantastic defence of "he comes from a small village" - its well worth trying to locate the transcripts and having a read because it seriously was a defence put forward.
Shoaib and Asif aren't of course the only players to have failed drugs tests to miss the world cup. Pill-popping*, nurse-gropping, intimidatory appealing, bookie-cash grabbing, text pest, mummy's boy Shane Warne retired from international cricket just before the world cup, although he'd given up one-dayers (as opposed to one-nighters) some time ago I'm a little surprise he didn't think of having one last swansong.
I reckon there will be at least one drug scandal in cricket before the end of the world cup. There are quite a few players recovering from injury (Michael Vaughan, Jacob Oram, Andrew Symonds etc) who must be tempted at taking something to speed up their recovery from injury. Plus there is likely to be at least one player caught (probably by the media rather than a drugs taste) sampling some of the local culture. I think the English media is the most likely to erm, grass up, one of their own players which would make Pietersen favourite to 'do a Botham', but the Aussie media might turn on them if their continued poor form continues, whilst the Kiwis always looked relaxed, but no-one in world cricket surely looks more relaxed than Chris Gayle.
*Admittedly Warne was not "village" enough to be caught taking which he claimed were diet pills given to him by his mummy to make him look thinner on TV.
This is apparently completely unrelated to the fact that these two had previously failed drugs tests, but had been let off on technicalities by the PCB (presumably as they were too busy trying to forfeit test matches). I think it was Mohammed Asif's defence team who came up with the fantastic defence of "he comes from a small village" - its well worth trying to locate the transcripts and having a read because it seriously was a defence put forward.
Shoaib and Asif aren't of course the only players to have failed drugs tests to miss the world cup. Pill-popping*, nurse-gropping, intimidatory appealing, bookie-cash grabbing, text pest, mummy's boy Shane Warne retired from international cricket just before the world cup, although he'd given up one-dayers (as opposed to one-nighters) some time ago I'm a little surprise he didn't think of having one last swansong.
I reckon there will be at least one drug scandal in cricket before the end of the world cup. There are quite a few players recovering from injury (Michael Vaughan, Jacob Oram, Andrew Symonds etc) who must be tempted at taking something to speed up their recovery from injury. Plus there is likely to be at least one player caught (probably by the media rather than a drugs taste) sampling some of the local culture. I think the English media is the most likely to erm, grass up, one of their own players which would make Pietersen favourite to 'do a Botham', but the Aussie media might turn on them if their continued poor form continues, whilst the Kiwis always looked relaxed, but no-one in world cricket surely looks more relaxed than Chris Gayle.
*Admittedly Warne was not "village" enough to be caught taking which he claimed were diet pills given to him by his mummy to make him look thinner on TV.
