Pakistan doping expert says IPL violated rules

Karachi: A World Anti-doping Agency member Dr Danish Zaheer of Pakistan, also vice president of Asian Anti-doping Agency, criticised the Indian Premier League for naming Mohammad Asif before completing the inquiry.

Dr. Zaheer, a sports medicine and anti doping expert, told cricketnirvana.com from Brunai that IPL has made a deviation from the WADA code as it should not have a made a public disclosure until Mohammad Asif’s “B” urine sample was checked in the presence of the paceman or his legal and medical representative.

Dr. Danshi referred to result management code of WADA paragraph 7.1, 7.2 and 14.2 which provides that the athlete be given ample time and opportunity to prove his innocence before public disclosure.

This departure from the WADA code may help Mohammad Asif  win the case if it's well fought by the medical and legal representative, Dr. Zaheer further added.

Zaheer said that since Asif''s first drug offense was proved null and void over procedural breaches, the second offense may not fetch the paceman more than two years of ban. "The last offense proved null and void after Asif's appeal; so if the substance comes to be an anabolic steroid, then under WADA rules Asif may be banned for two years, but if it's a substance used in medicines, the punishment may be lesser," said Zaheer.

Zaheer was one of three members on the PCB appellatte committee that overturned bans on Asif and Shoaib Akhtar in December 2006.