Tag Cricket News

2006 will go down as the worst year for Pakistan cricket, or as far as controversies are concerned. And guess what, there are still 2 more months to go --

A small history :

Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif were not part of Pakistan's 4 test match series against England in July - August. Mohammad Asif made a come back for the 4th and final test match at Oval and that was when "ball tampering" and test match forefitting controversy happened.

And when decision came against Injamam, forcing him out of ICC champions trophy - Younis Khan was made then captain. And guess what, younis Khan denied to captain Pakistan saying that he doesn't want to be a dummy captain... and he did that very publically. here's that complete story.

Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif banned :

ICC planned to drug test two players from each team on every match during the ICC champions trophy 2006. Pakistan board decided to test their players themselves, before the Champions trophy so that they could know the fact better and in time.

The results for the banned drug test came out positive for Shoaib and Asif and both Pakistani fast bowlers were forced to fly back home just one day before the sart of Champions trophy 2006.

A 3 men committe was formed by PCB to find out the truth, which comprised of Barrister Shahid Hamid, former Pakistan captain Intikhab Alam and a medical expert : Waqar Ahmed.

And the decison has come as both were found guilty of taking banned drug - Nandrolone, which basically is an Anabolic steroids to help competitors recover from injury by building up the necessary muscle and tendon strength. Nandrolone helps in the utilisation of protein which helps speed up recovery and allows athletes to train harder.

Important Note : Both Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif won't be able to play even national level cricket in Pakistan as a result of this ban. According to this ban, the guilty can't play for any recognised team.. all they can do is practise by themselves and that's it.

Shoaib's International career highlights :

It has to be said that it's very unlikely that Shoaib Akhtar will make a come back into Pakistani cricket team and consecutively to International cricket after being away from it for 2 years. So here's some of important memories attached with one of the fastest bowler International cricket has ever seen - SHOAIB AKHTAR :

-:- Born 13th August 1975, Test Match debut against West Indies at Rawalpindi in 1997 and ODI debut in 1998. Shoaib Akhtar was banned and then cleared of all suspected bowling actions in November 1999.

Shoaib, in November 2002, was found guilty of ball-tampering in the first Test against Zimbabwe in Harare, although Clive Lloyd - the match referee decided that only a match fee punishment if enough. And then in December - Shoaib was banned for one match and fined after being found guilty of bringing the game into disrepute during a one-day match against Zimbabwe, also in Harare. He gestured at the crowd and threw a plastic water bottle into the stands.

At a World Cup match in South Africa - Shoaib bowled the first ever ball to be bowled over 100 miles per hour. That 100 miles per hour ball was bowled to England opener - Nick Knight.