KARACHI, Jan 15: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is planning to conduct dope tests on all the 30 probables of the 2007 World Cup squad as a precautionary measure ahead of the quadrennial global competition.

The PCB has directed its medical panel to obtain relevant kits from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accredited laboratory in Malaysia.

“Instructions have been issued to the medical panel doctors to prepare for the tests which will be carried out before the World Cup because we don't want to take any chances before such a major tournament,” a PCB official said.

The Board has to submit its final 15-member squad for the World Cup by Feb 13 but the tests would only be possible after the team returns from South Africa, he said. “But we will get the results before the team leaves for the (World Cup) tournament,” the official added.

There is another possibility the PCB might send a representative to South Africa to conduct the tests on Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, who were exonerated of the doping charges despite testing positive for nandrolone, another PCB official said.

The Board has concerns traces of nandrolone might remain in their (Shoaib and Asif’s) bodies by the time the World Cup is played and they could be targeted for random tests in the tournament by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and WADA agents.

“We want to take precautionary measures ourselves and also reaffirm our commitment to a zero-tolerance policy towards any kind of drugs in sports,” the official emphasised.—Agencies