Ahmed to be charged after review of dope test

ISLAMABAD: The dope test of cricketer Ahmed Shehzad would have a detailed review which could take up to three weeks before charging the player of offence and suggesting penalties.

‘The News’ has learnt from the well-placed sources that the concerned authorities would have a procedural review of the entire test before framing any charges against the batsman.

“We will have a procedural review of the entire test conducted on the player before framing charges against Ahmed Shehzad. The entire procedure will take around three weeks. After that the batsman could be charged with breaching the rules,” a concerned Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official, when contacted, said.

He added that the procedural review is directly linked with all the exercises conducted to have blood samples and then testing them in laboratory based in India. “All the procedural exercises would be reviewed before framing the charges against Shehzad.”

The PCB official added that after framing the charges the batsman would have the option to request for the B sample. “The B sample of the blood is also with the concerned authorities.

“The player could request for a review in case he has any doubt on the sample. The fact of the matter is that once Ahmed Shehzad is charged with breaching offense, he would be free to request for B sample test. The foremost issue is the review of the procedural and technical matters before charging him.”

The initial reports reaching from Indian lab have suggested that Test cricketer Ahmed Shehzad has used banned substance ‘charas’ during domestic cricket competition.Under the World Anti-Doping Authority (WADA) laws, using any banned or recreational substance is banned during the competition.

The PCB is also waiting for a detailed report from Indian lab to know the exact nature of breaching the WADA laws.“Report coming from the Indian lab has not confirmed the level of consumption of the banned substance. We would only move ahead when we would find as to what level he has used the banned substance. Once we get that report we would be in a position to say anything final on the matter,” the official said.A few years back, leading left-arm spinner Raza Hasan was banned for two years for using the same substance during the domestic competition.