Pakistan cricketer Ahmad Shahzad fails dope test
Islamabad, July 10: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday confirmed that the country's international cricketer Ahmad Shahzad has failed a dope test and is likely to face suspension, an official statement said.
PCB announced that opening batsman Shahzad has tested positive for a banned substance in a dope test conducted during a domestic tournament and that he would be charged soon, which will finally lead to his suspension from the game for several months, reports Xinhua news agency.
The 26-year-old batsman, who recently played for Pakistan in the Twenty20 series against Scotland in June, was found guilty after the PCB received a report from the Independent Review Board on Tuesday.
Last month, the PCB, without naming any player, confirmed that a cricketer had failed a doping test.
"A player has reportedly tested positive for a prohibited substance. But under the International Cricket Council rules the PCB cannot name the player or charge-sheet him until the chemical report is confirmed by the Anti-Dope Agency," the board said on last month.
Later, the report of the cricketer was sent to India for a recheck due to some concerns and sensitivity of the matter.
"Pakistan's anti-doping agency wanted to be very sure and double-check it because a senior player was involved, hence it asked the Indian lab to re-check the tests," the PCB said earlier.
Shahzad has been part of several controversies since the start of his international career in 2009. He has been out of Pakistan's national team since the World Twenty20 in 2016 in India after which the then head coach of Pakistan team Waqar Younis had recommended dropping him due to disciplinary issues.
According to sports analysts, Shahzad is likely to face a ban for one-year over the dope test failure.
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Two FIRs lodged against Mithun Chakraborty for 'provocative' speech
Kolkata, Nov 6: Two FIRs have been lodged against actor-turned-politician Mithun Chakraborty for allegedly making provocative statements during a BJP event in Salt Lake area near Kolkata last month, police said on Wednesday.
The complaints pertain to Chakraborty's speech on October 27 at the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC) in Salt Lake, during a BJP programme attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was in Kolkata to launch the party's West Bengal membership drive.
The first FIR was filed at the Bidhannagar South police station based on a complaint by an individual, while the second was lodged at Bowbazar police station.
"We have started an investigation into the case," a senior officer of Bidhannagar police said.
Shah was also present at the programme, which was organised to kick off the West Bengal leg of the BJP's membership drive. Shah had also felicitated Chakraborty for being honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award this year.
Although Chakraborty was unavailable for comment, BJP state president and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar described the FIRs a result of "vendetta politics.".
Majumdar alleged that the TMC government "has once again used the police to unfairly target well-known actor and senior BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty".
He accused the chief minister of employing such tactics "to serve political interests" and claimed that the state government's actions were part of an ongoing attempt to discredit political opponents.
"There is nothing provocative in his speech. These are nothing but attempts to intimidate him by using police as a political tool," he said.
TMC leader Kunal Ghosh dubbed the BJP's allegations as baseless.
"The allegations of political vendetta are baseless. He shouldn't have made such provocative remarks. The law will take its own course," he said.
Chakraborty, who received India's highest film honour, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, earlier this year, had asserted on October 27 that the 'masnad' (throne) of West Bengal would belong to the BJP after the 2026 assembly elections, promising to do whatever it takes to achieve the goal.
While speaking at the programme, Chakraborty, a BJP leader, said, "In 2026, the 'masnad' will be ours, and we will do everything to achieve the goal."
In an apparent reference to TMC MLA Humayun Kabir's communal remarks aimed at BJP workers during the Lok Sabha elections, Chakraborty had allegedly made provocative remarks.
Chakraborty cautioned that no one should attempt to intimidate saffron party voters into abstaining from voting in the next assembly elections.
He called upon the booth-level workers of his party to resist any such attempts.
