Shoaib Akhtar has called on authorities to impart more education to cricketers on doping and contaminated food supplements.
KARACHI: Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has called on cricket authorities to impart more education to cricketers on doping and advised young sportsmen to beware of contaminated food supplements.
"There must be proper education on doping for youngsters. We are cricketers, not doctors," said Akhtar who this month had a two-year ban lifted after a doping offence.
"Every cricketer at some time has injury problems. I have had fitness problems and have used different legal remedies and supplements to recover.”
"Unfortunately one of the supplements was contaminated with a banned steroid," he told reporters on the sidelines of a Patrons Trophy game, his first competitive match since his ban was revoked.
"We didn't know anything about supplements being sold over the shelf being contaminated with steriods and we paid for it."
Akhtar and Mohammad Asif were banned for two years and one year respectively after testing positive for nandrolone and were called back from the Champions Trophy in India in October-November.
Both appealed successfully against the bans, arguing that they had taken the substance inadvertently.
"It was an honest mistake. We didn't take steroids knowingly. But we had to suffer a lot," Akhtar said.
The senior bowler for Pakistan said there was a need for the International Cricket Council, its member boards and even the World Anti-Doping Agency to take steps to prohibit use of even legal supplements which might contain banned steroids.
Akhtar insisted that there was nothing sinister in his ban being overturned.
"The PCB Chairman (Nasim Ashraf) has been receptive. He was supportive of me and Asif.”
"But he never tried to influence the working or decisions of the tribunals. People have said a lot of things but I can say this, both tribunals were independent."
Akhtar said that he had requested the PCB to have a permanent nutritionist with the team with an eye on educating the players.
He said he had spent a difficult time while under ban but didn't give up hope due to the support of his family and friends.
"People have been very sympathetic towards me. Thank God the ordeal is now over. I will be more careful in future and I just want to resume my cricket career," Akhtar said.
Akhtar, who had been running a fever, said he was feeling good now and had fully recovered.
"There is a bit of stiffness in the body which can be expected as I have not played since August. But otherwise I bowled a couple of overs and I felt good. Even though the wicket was flat I got some speed going," he added.
Shoaib said he was looking forward to the tour of South Africa in January and the World Cup.
"I am not sure what sort of pitches they will have in South Africa. But we have a very balanced team and if we play as a team and not as individuals we can do well."
"It would be an honour to play in my third World Cup but the team must do well to win it and we must realise that results come from a team not an individual as has been in the past."
He felt the slow wickets in the West Indies would encourage reverse swing which would be an advantage for Pakistan.
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