Pakistan are set to recall pacemen Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif from the Champions Trophy in India after they failed drug tests, a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official told Reuters on Monday.
The official said a formal announcement would be made following an urgent board meeting.
The tests were conducted by the PCB before the players left for the one-day tournament, which involves all the test-playing nations and is second only to the World Cup in importance.
Pakistan cricket is still reeling from a ball-tampering fiasco which caused the team to forfeit the recent fourth test against England at The Oval, controversy over the captaincy and the resignation of board chairman Shaharyar Khan.
The Pakistan team skipped their scheduled morning training session in Jaipur following the news.
Skipper Younis Khan and coach Bob Woolmer were expected to address a news conference later on Monday, the eve of their Group B tie against Sri Lanka.
Shoaib and Mohammad Asif would return home later on Monday, cricket officials said in Jaipur.
Pakistan officials have informed the sport's world governing body the International Cricket Council (ICC) about the positive dope tests, ICC officials said.
