PCB readying for another legal battle

KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board has started consulting its legal experts although it is yet to receive intimation from the World Anti-Doping Agency which has challenged the overturning of bans on fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohd. Asif in the Court of Arbitration for Sports.

A PCB official said since they had not heard so far from either WADA or CAS, they would consider the fast bowlers for selection for the upcoming tour of South Africa.

"So far we have got nothing from the CAS or WADA confirming they have filed a challenge in the CAS," a PCB official said.

"I don't think we will know anything officially until the New Year holidays are over as it would be vacations in those countries. As far as we are concerned, both the players are available for selection and will be considered for the South African tour," PCB's media manager Ehsan Malik said.

However, according to sources, the Board has started fresh consultations with its legal experts and has even contacted Mark Gay, its lawyer in London.

Gay acted as a friend of the appeals tribunal which cleared the two players of doping charges earlier this month.

Considered to be an expert on doping cases, Gay is learnt to have guided the appeals panel of the board, headed by a retired judge. It was he who informed them about applying the anti-doping regulations of the PCB, and not the WADA code, as the PCB was not a direct signatory to WADA.

It has emerged that since the Pakistan Government is a signatory to the Copenhagen declaration on anti-doping policies of WADA on sports and as PCB does not function independently, it indirectly becomes a signatory to the code.

It has been learnt that Gay has been asked by the Board to defend the exoneration of Shoaib and Asif in CAS in case of a hearing.

Gay represented Pakistan in the International Cricket Council hearing in September in which the team were cleared of ball tampering charges during the Oval Test.