PCB may toughen anti-doping rules

The Mohammad Asif drug scandal may force the Pakistan Cricket Board to toughen its anti-doping regulations to include punishment for the use of recreational drugs.

Even as it runs from pillar to post to save Asif, detained in Dubai after being caught with contraband drugs, from being prosecuted, sources in PCB say the Board feels embarrassed by the episode and could come down hard on Asif after he is released.

Sources told PTI that already the PCB and even the ICC have started reviewing their anti-doping regulations and code of conduct to confirm what scenario they could possibly face once Asif is released by the Dubai police.

"The issue here is while the PCB anti-doping regulations clearly cover the use of banned performance enhancing drugs but in many ways their regulations remain silent on what happens if a player is found using recreational drugs even in small quantity specially if he is not on national duty," one source said.

He said the ICC is also in a fix on the matter as it is a signatory to the World Anti-Doping Agency charter which discourages and bans the use of illegal substances, drugs and even recreational drugs.

With the pressure growing on PCB and the image of Pakistan cricket taking a beating, the chances are that Asif is released, the board will penalise him under its code of conduct for bringing the game into disrepute which has a maximum ban of five Tests or 10 one-day internationals and even a fine.