Collingwood shows Shoaib no sympathy

Shoaib Akhtar burst into tears when he left the Rajputana Palace, the Pakistan team's hotel. But if he had only known what his former Durham team-mate Paul Collingwood knew, he might not have become embroiled in the drug scandal that has hit cricket in the solar plexus.

Collingwood said yesterday that he was shocked by the events, but he could muster little sympathy for Shoaib's predicament. "It's up to the athletes themselves to check these things," he said as a cricketer better briefed than most on this subject.

Shoaib and fellow seamer Mohammad Asif were ordered out of the ICC Champions Trophy and suspended by the Pakistan cricket authorities after traces of the steroid nandrolone were detected following a drugs test taken by 19 players in September. Though the players protested their innocence, the performance-enhancing aspect of the drug detected had many of the world's media quickly condemning the pair as "cheats", making it a matter of top priority for the International Cricket Council.

Malcolm Speed, the ICC chief executive, said that cricket had previously been regarded as a low-risk sport. "Whether we maintain that status or not, I don't know," he said yesterday. "At the World Cup next year there may be a higher level of testing. It's moved to the top of our agenda. Cricketers are role models, they need to be sending out the right messages to the public and that is one of the reasons why we must have a zero tolerance on drug use."
advertisement

Collingwood is well placed to ensure England avoid any similar pitfalls. In his role as an 'ambassador' for UK Sport, he has been educating as many athletes as possible by publicising the website that can be used to check whether medicines, chemicals and other substances are prohibited. UK Sport's website 100percentme.co.uk is dedicated to the problem of drugs, especially banned ones.

The presence of nandrolone, which is known to shorten recovery time, heightened suspicion against the Pakistani bowlers as both were injured at the time of testing but a quick search on the 100percentme site, however, would have revealed whether any ingredients in the substance taken was on the World Anti-Doping Agency banned list. Collingwood said: "When you take a medication, you really have to check it with your doctor. Failing that, there's a long list on the UK Sport website, so that you can check certain substances and see if you would test positive. In the end it's up to the athletes themselves to check — but not everybody will."

The level of nandrolone detected by the WADA laboratory in Malaysia was not made public and a low reading might help the bowlers' case in a hearing scheduled to be held in Pakistan next week. It was suggested yesterday that Shoaib had been using a herbal medication prescribed by a local practitioner during a year of knee and ankle problems. But his official doctor doubted that Shoaib would jeopardise his career at the age of 31 by knowingly risking a two-year ban.

Meanwhile, Pakistan put their troubles to one side in Jaipur's Sawai Man Singh stadium yesterday as they beat Sri Lanka by four wickets. Despite an early blitz of boundaries from Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka's total of 253 proved difficult to defend. Imran Farhat (53) and Mohammad Yousuf (49) laid the platform before Shoaib Malik and Abdul Razzaq let loose, Malik clinching victory with a driven six.

*cue for Collywobble to be told to shut up and mind his own business*

precisely.

I find it strange how all these idiots like Ponting and Collingwood feel the need to blabber their mouths about something that doesn't concern them in the slightest. The least they can do is wait until the findings of the tribunal before passing judgement.

I think it's because Collingwood is

Why does collingwood always talk like he's is a legend...

Thank you for your 5 pence worth, now shut up fruitcake,

Even Botham thinks your *****...

collingwood and any other athelete can mouth off as much BS as they want.... but the fault is in the media for pickig up his senselless babble and making a story out of it.

Perhaps he should try and sort his performances on the field before he becomes the ambassador for anything. First the 3-0 comments now this, I used to like the bloke but my patience is wearing a bit thin.

Beautifully put....spot on!

Bigger question is WHY do WE pay attention to what he says ?

I dont mind world class player like Ponting or even Steve Waugh opening their mouth on this matter...
but Collingwood LOL ...

[Edit by MODS: Do not swear or hurl racist insults at any player/member etc - its very clear in our forum rules. Continued violation of this rule will result in an immediate ban - pls be careful next time]

Add Hayden to that list !

Well - what do we expect? We expose ourselves to ridicule and people dont need a second invite. IMO, we read too much into player reactions - who cares ? to some having an extra marital affair while a wife and 2 kids languish at home is more acceptable than having "traces" of some PE drug in your pee sample!

No one is perfect and we havent heard the players side of the story - whether we will ever hear it in public is what I am really interested in.

And should he?

More importantly, did Pieterson break into a chicken dance when he heard this news?

No need to get uptight, I was saying it for the sake of argument rather than anything else. Otherwise this will just turn into a Mr. 3-0 bashing topic, and we've had enough of those for one lifetime

????

It was a joke as in, Shoaib danced around Pieterson when he got him out - will Pieterson do the same ( schadenfreude in German )

You sure you arent fasting Whippy ?

That was a little too subtle for me. Nowadays when a Pietersen joke follows one of my posts, the defence system kicks in..

Why should anyone sympathise with someone who takes drugs to gain advantage in sport .Its called cheating

But Collingwood's opinions don't deserve an objective response, because he wants to beat Pakistan whenever he plays them, how dare an international cricketer want to win test matches. Not to mention he does evil articles for the BBC, and he has ginger hair and...yeah!

Its not a matter of beating him. Just that Collingwood is not that accomplished of a player for him to be shooting his mouth. The man is fighting for a spot in the team(in tests).

Its like Mo Sami commenting on Pietersens bad form against Asif. However, Sami is allowed to comment since he is an international cricketer! That gives all intl. cricketers they right to comment a issue taht does not concern him.

You know I think Suresh Raina too may be itching to let his opinion loose too even though he is 19.

Plus shouldn't Coll[ingwood] be focusing on the CT and not Shoaib. Afterall, it was his team that was bowled out for 125.

collingwood should concentrate on winning england's BS oneday side some matches rather than make comments on an issue that doesnt concern him or england at all.

Players can't win when they make these comments, whether it is a veteran or a newbie then there is always something that people say they should be 'concentrating more on' to try and belittle their comments. So I don't think Collingwood's position in the pecking order in an issue here.

The man has an opinion and he has the right to express it to the press.

Just like its our right to shoot down his opinion. He can say what he want and we can say what we want

people can say what they want,it their opinion.it up to you to accept it

Threenothingwood should shut it and hope to God that his team somehow sneaks in a win somewhere. yaps like he is an icon.

Collingwood is a blatant self publicist. I've said it before, there's a career waiting for him an a spin doctor!

He was asked a question so he replied ! We continue to give him so much importance.

There are so many statements coming out from players all over the world (well, the g.ora countries anyway).......

Why do they feel the need to say anything? Have they already decided Shoaib and Asif are guilty before their trial has even taken place? Why can't they just say 'well I think we should wait until the findings of the tribunal before passing judgement' rather than saying 'they should be harshly treated, bla bla bla yadda yadda, their responsibility bla bla'. Just shut your mouth and mind your own business.

Very true, and I would love to see what their comments (esp the aussies) were in 2003 after Shane Warne's positive result.

I'm sure someone can dig that up..

Dont you guys get it ? Shoaib has done this to himself and every chai, paan walla is talking about it !

Ponting on Warne drug scandal 2003:

you don't see Faisal Iqbal talking about any of the issues, Collingwood should concentrate on his batting and his masterpiece bowling.

Who was the last team England beat in OD matches

Hah, great stuff UJ


When was the last time England won a series. You'd go back a long way

Where's the thread bashing Hayden then?

The thread starter created this thread on collingwood, so I thought I'd post Haydens view here.

Im more than happy to create a seperate thread for Hayden, but not sure the MODS would like that.

The title of this thread should be changed

Hayden is a bully who gets found wanting in a fight when the big boys show up. Its one thing smashing Sean Ervine and Andy Blignaut to a triple century but failing when facing Shoaib, Harmison or Jones shows his actual ability

\m/

Everything feels all warm and fuzzy now.

There you go. Dont say we arent accomodating

Why show sympathy to a drugs cheat? Collingwood's entitled to his opinion, one I expect he was asked for...

On what basis are you calling him a drugs cheat? do you have any proof?

Collingwood is a lusarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. I am so desperately waiting for the Ashes. ha ha ha

Collingwood and Hayden should shut their traps.

There is no proof YET - just stop freakin' blabbing your mouths. Threenothingwood can go to hell.

so after the test B results come up all the comments of collingwood and hayden are acceptable ??

people here should understand that this is the best oppurtunity to bash Pakistani cricket for all the media guys ... to do that, they just hold their megaphone out to those who they think would oppose the actions of shoaib and asif in the most harsh way possible ...