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Fiery paceman Shoaib Akhtar on Monday said he was innocent after being tested positive for performance enhancing drug nandrolone along with fellow new-ball partner Mohammad Asif.

“I cannot say much at this time about what has happened but I just want to assure everyone that I am innocent of doing anything I shouldn’t have,” he said in a regular diary for an England-based website.

Shoaib said he would not make any detailed comment over the failed test on the instructions of President General Pervez Musharraf. Shoaib and Asif were asked to return home after failing a test for the anabolic steroid ahead of Pakistan’s opening match in the ICC Champions Trophy in Jaipur, India against Sri Lanka today. Both the players are facing a ban of up two years.

But Shoaib claims he has not cheated, saying, “All I can say is that I have not knowingly taken any performance enhancing drugs and would never cheat my team-mates or opponents in this way.”

He added: “I have always played the game fair and I give 100 per cent and do not feel that I need to take drugs to help my bowling. I am gutted to be missing the Champions Trophy and I will return to Pakistan to see what has happened and what needs to be done.”

Apart from his brief message on the website, Shoaib kept a mum over the latest issue that has rocked Pakistan cricket saying that Musharraf has asked him against making any more comments over the doping scandal. “The president of Pakistan (Pervez Musharraf) has asked me not to comment in any detail at this stage and I want to respect his wishes, so I will keep my message short,” he stated.

Musharraf is the patron in chief of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and takes an active interest in the national cricket affairs.
Source:The News