PCB to conduct dope test on 20-20 WC probables

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to carry out dope tests on the 30 players in the provisional Twenty20 World Championship squad before the final 15-man side is announced next month, The News reported on Wednesday.

PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf has instructed the board officials to carry out the tests as soon as possible so that the results are received from the WADA accredited laboratory in Malaysia before the final squad is picked Aug 10.

The tournament takes place in September.

"We will begin dope testing on the players as soon as possible," PCB's communications director Ahsan Hameed Malik said. "It will take up to ten days to get the test results, which is why the players' urine samples will be obtained over the next few days."

Malik said the PCB may take samples from some players in Lahore and the others in Karachi.

Most of the players on Pakistan's provisional squad are currently here but will move to Karachi later this week for the final phase of training before leaving for South Africa.

Malik said he was confident all players would pass the tests but the board wanted to be certain before announcing the final squad. He said it was the board's policy to carry out internal dope tests ahead of major ICC events, a practice that would be continued.