IPL doping scandal causes delay in announcement

Pakistan have again delayed announcing their 30-man preliminary squad for the Champions Trophy. The selection committee and the PCB management met in Lahore today, but didn't name the squad. A release said the team is likely to be named on Tuesday.

Although the release said "the availability status of few cricketers is still unconfirmed", Cricinfo has learnt the announcement was delayed till the identity of the player who tested positive in the Indian Premier League was revealed. This was done in order to "avoid further controversy", an official said. Last week Pakistan had deferred naming the squad after disagreements between selectors and a board committee over some names in the list and the confusion over Shoaib Akhtar's eligibility.

The IPL later named Mohammad Asif, the fast bowler, as the player who failed the drug test. Asif was detained in Dubai for possession of contraband drugs last month for 19 days and he is already the subject of a PCB inquiry into those events. "Obviously, given the present circumstances he would not be considered for the Champions Trophy preliminary squad now," Zakir Khan, PCB's director of cricket operations, said.

In October 2006, Asif, along with Shoaib Akhtar, had tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone in PCB's internal tests ahead of the Champions Trophy. He was banned for one year, which was overturned on appeal. Asif had cleared a dope test in August 2007 ahead of the World Twenty20 in South Africa.