Akhtar, Asif test positive again?

Pakistani pacers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammed Asif reportedly tested positive for a banned substance again in a secret dope test conducted by the Pakistan Cricket Board.

The results of tests proved the PCB's worst nightmare true as the players again tested positive for nandrolone, The News' on Tuesday quoted a source as saying.

The two bowlers were earlier banned for using nandrolone last year before getting a reprieve from a PCB appeals committee.

The World Anti-Doping Body has challenged the appeals committee's decision to let off the players and the case is at the Court of Arbitration for Sports.

The PCB has not issued any official confirmation about the secretly conducted dope tests of the two cricketers. It has already announced that it would carry out dope tests of all 15 players selected to play the World Cup in the West Indies next month.

"The tests would be carried out on February 16. The reason behind another round of internal dope tests by the PCB is to avoid any unpleasant surprises during the World Cup," PCB's Director Operations Saleem Altaf said.

But, the Board decided to test Akhtar and Asif before schedule to secretly check whether they are still carrying traces of nandrolone. If selected for the World Cup, Shoaib and Asif would certainly be tested for illegal drugs by the ICC, which has already announced introducing 'target testing' during the tournament, sources said.

If found guilty of a doping offence for the second time, Akhtar and Asif may be banned for life.