Shoaib Akhtar's personal doctor said Monday the Pakistan fast bowler was innocent of doping and likely tested positive because of medicine he took to recover from injury.

"Akhtar is definitely innocent and I can vouch for him," Tauseef Razzaq, a reputed physiotherapist and sports medicine specialist, told AFP after the latest scandal to rock Pakistani cricket.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday withdrew Akhtar and fellow paceman Mohammad Asif from the Champions Trophy in India after they tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone.

They face a possible ban of up to two years.

Razzaq, who worked with several US basketball clubs in the 1990s, said Akhtar "doesn't know anything about medicines" and tested negative on at least two previous occasions.

"And since he recently suffered ankle and knee injuries, he must have taken some medicines which are painkillers but come under the banned substances," said the doctor, whose hiring by Akhtar was criticised by the PCB in 2004.

Akhtar, 31, had surgery on both knees in February before missing Pakistan's Test series in England two months ago when an old ankle problem injury flared up.

Asif also missed the first part of Pakistan's tour with an elbow injury and recently suffered neck and back problems.

Razzaq said Akhtar came up negative in tests conducted by the ICC in the Champions Trophy in England two years ago and after the World Cup 2003 in South Africa.

"Akhtar is so valuable a cricketer and is conscious of the fact, so I don't think he would take anything intentionally. Since he bowls at a venomous pace he also knew he would always be a target for a dope test," said Razzaq.

Another problem was that some painkillers and energy drinks which could be used by players recovering from injury have banned substances.

(Article: Copyright © 2006 AFP)