The Hindu : Sport : Akhtar's drug ban could signal end of career

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Friday, Nov 03, 2006
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Akhtar's drug ban could signal end of career

David Hopps

London: Shoaib Akhtar has been one of the most colourful characters in cricket history.

Even before his two-year ban for failing a drugs test, and his revelation of the supplements he has blithely used to maintain his status as the most terrifying fast bowler in the world, he was assured of notoriety.

Cricket's authorities have been obsessed with whether Akhtar is a "chucker", propelling the ball with dubious legality at close to 100 mph, a supreme athlete whose disadvantages of flat feet was more than compensated for by hyper-extensive joints.

Pakistan has looked on with barely concealed distaste at a western lifestyle which has included a penchant for night clubs. And now this — the drugs bust. Some observers who watched him bowl so successfully against England in Pakistan last winter, a snorting parody of a macho, muscular, heavily-sweating fast bowler, will not be surprised.

The underlying morality tale was that this was a Pakistan player who had been seduced by the ways of the west.

Thanks to the Pakistan board's impressive openness by publishing its findings, a lesson not just to English cricket, but English sport in general, we now know so much more about Akhtar's training regime.

Akhtar's admissions

Akhtar admitted in writing to using the following: Blaze Xtreme, a fat-burning supplement; Nitron5, designed to increase strength; Ergolean AMP, a pre-workout stimulant, no doubt useful for those early morning sessions after a late night out; Promax 50, a liquid protein diet, "from Fleximuscle of London"; Viper, that unputdownable isotonic drink; and TBomb II, which the Pakistan tribunal pronounced, with the knowledge of men who had studied the medical advice, "jacks up testosterone to the max." Then there were "herbal medicines from friends" and gym work that, for a sportsman whose commitment has been so often challenged, seemed never ending. The tribunal referred to "a quite remarkable surgical history," listing injured right shoulder, numerous hamstring injuries, rib injuries, quadriceps, fractured right fibula, calf muscles and sore back. The whole caboodle.

To end it all, came the drugs analysis from Malaysia on October 17. The threshold of nandrolone allowed is 2ng/ml.

Akhtar's sample measured 14.06ng/ml, slightly more than his fellow fast bowler, Mohammad Asif. Akhtar's defence, that his high-protein intake over many years had increased his natural production of nandrolone, was refuted. The tribunal gave some credence to his protestations of innocence, accusing PCB officials of "passing the buck."

Great show

What we are left with, most likely, is the end of a career, one which, statistically, does not make the world tremble: 165 wickets in 42 Tests and 208 wickets in 133 ODIs. But there has been no greater fast bowling performance than the one where he tore through Australia in Colombo in 2002, dismissing both Waugh twins for nought in heat approaching 100 F and draining humidity.

Then there were the scandals. Indiscipline dogged his early years. He was first called for throwing in Australia in 1999 by umpires Darrell Hair and Peter Willey, and was called again two years later by Steve Dunne and Doug Cowie, whereupon a study by the University of Western Australia concluded that his action was the result of "unique physical characteristics."

In 2002, he was hit by a brick thrown from the crowd on a tour of Bangladesh and missed the rest of the tour. In Zimbabwe later that year, it was Akhtar who did the throwing, lobbing a bottle into the crowd. He also escaped punishment for ball-tampering. After the 2003 World Cup, he was ordered by the Pakistan board to get his life in order.

© Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006

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