When I was a young lad I had aspirations to be a tearaway quick. Long loping run, more interested in intimidation than line and length, not caring too much where the ball landed as long as it was fast. One thing I learned was that you have to be a little mad to be a quick bowler. You spend all day in the summer heat running in and trying to fling the Kookaburra down as fast as possible, your effort never properly appreciated by the batsman at the other end. It is a task no sane person would aspire to.
It is no surprise that the history of fast bowling is full of characters with Pakistani quick Shoab Akhtar being one of the more notable. Erratic in form and in behavior you never knew what to expect from Akhtar. Including failing a drugs test. Akhtar and fellow paceman Mohammad Asif have returned to Pakistan from the Champions Trophy tournament after testing positive to Nandrolone.
Pakistani cricket seems to have a knack of making headlines for all the wrong reasons at the moment.
5 responses so far ↓
Phil // Oct 16, 2006 at 10:53 pm
If the WADA lab confirms the first test then I think those two will have played their last games.
Amanda // Oct 17, 2006 at 7:31 am
Well, it is a bugger because it makes PAK less competitive and I want good games, dammit.
Bring Back EP at LP // Oct 17, 2006 at 12:01 pm
stupid,
you can’t bulk up to be a spin bowler ( Warney) nor a fast bowlers ( these blokes).
probably done to get over the operations.
Can’t we ever get people who understand the sport to adjudicate on these matters!
derrida derider // Oct 17, 2006 at 1:11 pm
On the Warney precedent, Phil, I expect they’ll get 12 months only.
But it is a bloody shame.
Shaun // Oct 17, 2006 at 10:25 pm
Actually Homer, there was talk in 2004 that Shoaib had bulked up a little. Fast bowlers can have muscle mass. Flintoff isn’t exactly a stick and in days of old Pascoe (my fast bowling hero) and Hogg had muscular builds.
Even if they are using Nandrolone for recovery it still means they are exposing themselves to the side effects. Also I’d expect they knew the risks so for being caught they only have themselves to blame.
I’ve heard two years dd based on current regulations.