Wellington, January 26: While the Pakistan team gears up for the second ODI against New Zealand, random dope tests have been carried out on four Pakistani cricketers- Misbah ul Haq, Saeed Ajmal, Shoaib Akhtar and Younis Khan. The results of the tests are awaited.
Shoiab of course, already has a dope offence against his name, testing positive for the performance-enhancing nandrolone back in Oct 2006. He was slapped with a two-year ban from international cricket, but just one month later, was cleared on appeal.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has named its final eleven-member squad for the second match against the Kiwis, dropping pace bowler Shoaib Akhtar and middle order batsman Asad Shafiq from the team. Shoaib’s bowling was horrendous in the first one-dayer against New Zealand on Saturday as he went for 47 runs off 4 overs without taking a wicket, while Shafiq got out for 4 runs batting at No. 4. Umar Gul and Ahmed Shahzad have replaced the excluded duo, SAMAA TV reports.
Pakistan one-day captain Shahid Afridi told the media that his team would try to level the series by winning the second match. Pakistan had lost the first ODI by nine wickets. The second of the six-match ODI series will take place on Jan 26, 2011.
——–Agencies