Shoaib meets Altaf to discuss dope issue

Disgraced fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar on Tuesday met Pakistan Cricket Board's Director Operations Saleem Altaf but both of them declined to give any details of their discussion.

"I met Shoaib this morning and we had a detailed discussion. Asif is due to meet me later in the afternoon. Everything is under control," Altaf said.

However, sources privy to the meeting said it was held basically to hear out Shoaib's version of what had actually happened that led to him and Asif testing positive for taking the banned substance nandrolone.

Both the players returned home yesterday evening from Delhi after being suspended and withdrawn from the Champions Trophy following their positive results in dope tests conducted by the PCB before the tournament.

"Naturally, Shoaib pleaded his innocence saying he didn't know what he was taking," the source said but he had no other information.

Altaf said the Board was in the process of finalising the drugs tribunal to hear out both players and then recommend disciplinary action.

"It should be finalised later today because we want to have the hearing as soon as possible. We have taken a strong decision to have the tests, announce their results and call these players back.

"We want this issue to reach its logical conclusion. But the players would be given a fair chance to present their cases," Altaf said.