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NEWS Cricket World Cup 2007> 'Injured' Shoaib, Asif ruled out of World Cup 01st Mar 2007   By Agencies   Pakistan's World Cup campaign suffered a body blow on Thursday with fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif being ruled out of the mega event in Caribbean due to injuries. Ending days of speculation on the fate of the pace duo who were in London consulting the doctors on their injuries, Pakistan Cricket Board said they have failed to recover in time for the World Cup even as the squad left for cricket's showpiece event. Chief selector, Wasim Bari said that medical reports from London had shown that both the bowlers needed another two to three weeks to recover from a knee and elbow problem. "We now don't have the time to wait on them. So we have decided to replace them with Mohammad Sami and Yasir Arafat ." Bari expressed confidence that the two youngsters would do their best to fill in the huge gap created due to the ruling out of Shoaib and Asif. However, sources in the PCB indicated that the withdrawal of the two bowlers had more to do with their having failed private dope tests in London than anything else. "I think the Pakistan board's decision to drop them from the squad today has been taken in light of a statement made by the International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive, Malcolm Speed that both bowlers could face dope tests as soon as they arrive in the West Indies," one well-informed source said. He said Speed had also conveyed clearly that no replacement would be allowed for any player sent home from the World Cup for testing positive. Also View In-Depth Coverage: Cricket World Cup 2007 Team Page: Pakistan Team Page: West Indies

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