This month, Pakistan’s cricket establishment went through upheaval after the sudden departure of Shaharyar Khan, the head of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The problems for the team intensified on the eve of Pakistan’s departure to India when Younis Khan stepped down as stand-in captain, saying that he could not be a “dummy captain”. A day later, under persuasion from Nasim Ashraf, the new PCB chairman, he changed his mind.

This may be the end of the road for Shoaib, 31, an immensely popular and mercurial player, regarded by many as a flawed genius. Nicknamed the Rawalpindi Express for his blistering pace, his career has been a mixture of brilliance and waywardness.

The fast bowler, whose career has been dogged by injuries has taken 165 wickets in 42 Test matches and 208 wickets at an average of 23.33 in 133 limited-overs internationals. He made his international debut in 1997.

“He has had a lot of talent, but has always been a difficult person to deal with,” Javed Miandad, Pakistan’s former cricket captain and coach, said.

The PCB has no rule in place for doping offences, but Ashraf said that a tribunal is to decide how to punish the players. Shoaib and Asif, his new-ball partner, face bans of up to two years and fines in line with ICC rules if analysis of their B samples confirms the positive tests.

A ban could also cost Shoaib his lucrative modelling deals with various multinational companies. He has recently appeared in Pepsi and Sony Ericsson advertisements.

Any ban would be a serious blow to the career of Asif, the talented seam bowler who has taken 30 wickets in six Tests at an average of 21.16 and 19 wickets in 17 one-day internationals. The 23-year-old is considered to be the brightest fast-bowling prospect in Pakistan. His short career has been interrupted by injuries and he missed the first three Tests of the four-match series against England this summer. Asif has been selected on the shortlist for the ICC’s most promising young cricketer of the year award.

Many observers believe that the scandal is the latest manifestation of the indiscipline and disarray that has long plagued Pakistan cricket.

From accusations of match-fixing and internal revolts against captains, to players being charged with drug use, Pakistan cricket has seen it all since gaining Test status in 1952.

In 1993 during the tour of West Indies, four Pakistan players — Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Mushtaq Ahmed and Aqib Javed — were arrested for smoking marijuana. The PCB let them off with a minimum fine and a warning. In 1997, again in the West Indies, Zeeshan Pervez, a member of the under-19 team, was accused of raping a woman in Jamaica. He was later exonerated by a court.

But the latest allegation involving two of the most popular players in the country has shocked even the most hardened fans. “It is so depressing to see our star players being charged in such a manner,” Fazal Rehman, a teacher, said.

The incident could not have come at a worse time as Pakistan prepared to play their first match in the tournament against Sri Lanka today. Younis, deputising for Inzamam as Pakistan captain during the ICC Champions Trophy, said the positive cases were damaging for the team’s preparations.