Pakistan's Rehman fails drug test - PCB

KARACHI:Pakistan left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman failed a dope test during the English county season while playing for Somerset, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Tuesday.

The PCB has withdrawn Rehman from the Sialkot Stallions squad due to play in the Champions League Twenty20 qualifying tournament in South Africa starting on Oct.9.

A PCB official said that under the rules of the World Anti-Doping Agency the test results were only released to the player and his home board, which was the ECB at that time.

The 32-year-old Rehman, who has played 17 tests and 25 one-day internationals, had a successful season for Somerset before returning home.

Sri Lankan opener Upul Tharanga was banned last year for three months after failing a dope test at the 2011 World Cup. Tharanga was given a three-month ban by the International Cricket Council after he appealed that he had unknowingly consumed the banned substance in a herbal remedy for curing an injury problem.

The PCB official said they were still waiting to discuss the issue with Rehman.

Pakistani fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif failed dope tests at the 2006 Champions Trophy.(Reuters)