What with all the words written about the Pakistan doping controversy, I thought it would be interesting to get a club cricket angle on it all.

After all, if you can find legal ways to supplement for Shoaib then perhaps you can use them yourself as a club player?

One thing you need to keep in mind is that most club players don't need any supplements - legal or not. A combination of a good diet, focussed training and a well-planned fitness routine is more than enough to skyrocket your performance.

Also, as cricket can be a game of more subtle skills (like timing), there is no obvious benefit to any player at any level supplementing with 'performance enhancing' drugs.

So why use supplements in cricket?

As a cricketer, you don't need to be super strong like a weight lifter or have endless reserves of endurance like cyclists, so many supplements are not much good.

What would be handy is something that helps you to perform better in the gym and boost your fitness on the pitch.

On this basis, creatine may be a good supplement for cricketers without the risk of getting banned, including Shoaib.

Click here to go into creatine for cricket in a little more detail: The pros, the cons and some recommendations for taking it.