Eighteen Pakistan cricketers pass dope tests

Eleven of Pakistan's 15-man World Cup squad and seven reserves have passed pre-World Cup dope tests, an official has confirmed.

"We have received reports of the dope tests held last week and 18 players have cleared tests," Ahsan Malik, the Pakistan Cricket Board director of communication, told AFP. He said results for captain Inzamam-ul-Haq and allrounder Shahid Afridi, who were tested on Sunday and Friday respectively, will be received later.

Fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, who have both had doping bans controversially lifted, will be tested later this week, Ahsan said. Two players outside the five official reserves were also tested in case they were needed in an emergency, he added.

Pakistan asked the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accreditated laboratory in Malaysia to fast-track the test results so they can complete the process before leaving for the Caribbean on March 1. Officials here have said no player will play in the World Cup without passing the in-house tests.

Pakistan cricket was hit by a doping scandal last year when Akhtar and Asif were tested positive for banned steroid nandrolone and had to be pulled out of the Champions Trophy in India. Akhtar was banned for two years and Asif for one year. But the bans were controversially lifted on appeal, on the grounds they did not take the banned substance knowingly.

WADA has appealed against the decision in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland, which is yet to give a ruling. Both Akhtar and Asif face life bans in case they test positive for a second time.