Agencies
Lahore, Nov 2: Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar was banned for two years and fellow pace bowler Mohammad Asif for one year after they tested positive for a banned steroid, an official said on Wednesday.
A three-member doping tribunal appointed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) handed down the verdicts on the pair after hours of deliberations in Lahore.
A statement issued by the tribunal said both players had been informed of the decision and had the right to appeal.
The bans, effective from Oct. 15, rule both out of next year's World Cup.
Akhtar and Asif were sent home from the Champions Trophy in India on October 16 after the PCB said the performance-enhancing drug nandrolone had appeared in their samples.