Akhtar, Asif named in provisonal Cup squad

Pakistan officials said they had no concerns over the pair's availability despite the World Anti-Doping Agency challenging their exoneration at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

"We have followed a decision of a proper appeals tribunal which lifted their bans last month after taking into account every aspect of the case. Pakistan has handled the case fairly," Saleem Altaf, director of cricket operations told Reuters.

Akhtar was banned for two years and Asif for one after they tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone in October.

They were cleared by a PCB appeals tribunal last month.

Pakistan's provisional squad for the World Cup in the West Indies also included Shabbir Ahmed who last month completed a 12-month ban for having an illegal bowling action.

Provisional squad: Inzamam-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, Imran Farhat, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Yousuf, Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Umar Gul, Shahid Nazir, Danish Kaneria, Yasir Hameed, Shabbir Ahmed, Mohammad Sami, Abdul Rehman, Salman Butt, Faisal Iqbal, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Rao Iftikhar, Imran Nazir, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Khalil, Bazid Khan, Mansoor Amjad, Zulqarnain Haider, Yasir Arafat, Mohammad Asif, Shoaib Akhtar, Misbah-ul-Haq, Hasan Raza.