PCB rules out action against Shoaib

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has ruled out any disciplinary action against mercurial speedster Shoaib Akhtar for his outburst against the Anti-Doping Tribunal, which slapped him with a two-year ban for flunking a dope test.

Shoaib had questioned the credibility of the tribunal after being handed the punishment, following a positive dope test. The express bowler had claimed that the tribunal was out to destroy his career and raised doubts over its impartiality.

"I don't understand why have I been given a two-year ban, while (Mohammad) Asif, who committed the same offence and was found to have a higher level of nandrolone was given a lighter sentence," the pacer had said, referring to the one-year ban on Asif for failing the same test.

"This raises doubts over the credibility of the tribunal,"

he had further added.

Shoaib and Asif were withdrawn from the Champions Trophy in India following the doping scandal and were subsequently banned.

PCB Chairman Nasim Ashraf, while refusing to react to the outburst, said the board was not planning to take any action against the bowler for his comments.

He, however, did point out that the PCB has given the bowlers to prove their innocence by allowing them to appeal against the bans.

"The players were allowed to hire the services of lawyer or doctor to assist them before the commission to prove their innocence," he was quoted by 'The News' as saying.

"Like commission, the Appeal Committee is also an independent body and both Shoaib and Asif are appearing before it with their lawyers, so they have another chance to prove the innocence," he added.