KARACHI (Reuters):

Pakistan pace bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif were sent home from the Champions Trophy in India yesterday after testing positive for the anabolic steroid nandrolone.

The pair, who were among 19 Pakistan players tested before the tournament, now face two-year bans.

"They have tested positive for using nandrolone, which is a performance-enhancing anabolic steroid," Saleem Altaf, director of cricket operations of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), told Reuters.

Claim innocence

Shoaib, who earlier denied ever knowingly taking performance-enhancing drugs, arrived in Lahore with Asif late yesterday.

"I want to assure everyone that I am innocent of doing anything I shouldn't have," Shoaib told the bigstarcricket.com website. "All I can say at this stage is that I have not knowingly taken any performance-enhancing drugs and would never cheat my teammates or opponents in this way."

PCB chairman Naseem Ashraf said an investigation would be set up to look into the matter and possible actions against the pair.

"The players took it unfortunately," Ashraf said. "They might have had no idea about the drug. It is the first time our players have tested positive, so we'll take action accordingly."

Disciplinary committee

Altaf said since the tests were conducted internally and not in an International Cricket Council (ICC) tournament, the two players would appear before a PCB disciplinary committee.

"Under the ICC anti-doping rules the punishment for a first violation is two years. We don't have our own rules on such matters and might follow the ICC regulations," he added.