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A lesson in this story

Xuhaib

International Coach
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reopened the case involving dope-tainted fast bowler Mohammad Asif’s detention in Dubai last summer.

According to sources, PCB will carry out a renewed inquiry after media reports revealed last week that Asif confessed to using Opium during interrogations carried out by authorities in Dubai last June.

Asif, who has taken 51 wickets from 11 Tests, was caught in possession of small amount of a banned substance at the Dubai airport while on his way home after featuring in the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in India. He was detained in Dubai for 19 days before being deported to Pakistan.

A PCB inquiry committee had at that time suggested Rs 7 million, fine and suspension of a few matches over Asif’s Dubai misadventure. But the committee’s report disappeared in mysterious circumstances after a regime change in the PCB set-up last autumn.

Shafqat Naghmi, the then PCB chief operating officer, who headed the inquiry committee, was sacked by new board chairman Ijaz Butt.

Sources said that the PCB was not interested in reopening the case but is now forced to do that in the wake of several media reports highlighting the findings of the Dubai authorities. Another reason why the PCB wants to resume investigations is to settle the issue of expenses incurred on Asif’s legal assistance that was provided by the board.

The PCB spent Rs 6.3 million on legal assistance for Asif in Dubai. According to sources, the board has sent a notice to Asif to pay the amount. But the pacer has refused to pay back, saying that he never asked the PCB to hire such expensive lawyers.
:laugh:
“I never fought the case then why should I pay,” he was quoted as saying in an interview on Tuesday. “Its speculations,” he said.

But he admitted that the board will take steps to sort out the matter soon. Meanwhile, Asif is also struggling to settle another serious matter pertaining to a positive dope test in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

“I want this nightmare to get over as soon as possible,” Asif told the ‘Daily Jang’ newspaper.

“I need a lot of money to fight my legal battle over the dope test but am totally broke because of the ban and all,” he said.
“The board owes me a lot of money but it has refused to release it,” he lamented.
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I guess there is a moral to Mohd Asif's story for all young cricketers. No matter how much talent you have but if you refuse to use your brain and continue to act like an idiot then sooner or later all the opportunities will be taken away from you. 2 yr ban, 5 yr ban or even life ban, i am certain Asif will never ever forget this ordeal and must be so desperately wishing he could go back in time and amend his actions.
 

Xuhaib

International Coach
More on the story.

Pakistan's Senate sports committee recommended on Tuesday that troubled fast bowler Mohammad Asif be banned from cricket for life over his detention in Dubai last year for opium possession.

The 26-year-old paceman was detained in June for nearly three weeks as he was returning to Pakistan after playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Dubai police deported him without charge, saying the quantity of illegal drugs found was insufficient, but barred him from the United Arab Emirates for life.

Asif told prosecutors he had used the opium, but claimed he believed it was simply a herbal remedy that would boost his energy.
:laugh:
"Youngsters will be encouraged to take drugs if Asif is not banned for life," committee member Enver Baig told a hearing at which officials from the sport's governing body were asked to testify.

The committee demanded the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) launch a full probe into the incident, saying Asif's actions had tainted the country's reputation.

PCB chairman Ijaz Butt said he had not yet seen a report from Dubai prosecutors about the incident, even though it was leaked to the media on Sunday.

Asif is also facing a possible two-year ban after failing a drugs screening test during the inaugural IPL season last year. He was due to appear before the IPL doping tribunal on January 24.

Asif and fellow paceman Shoaib Akhtar failed drugs tests in 2006.

A PCB tribunal banned Akhtar for two years and Asif for one year, but that decision was overturned on appeal.
 

HeathDavisSpeed

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
How very sad. Mind you, I got a text from Asif at the time which I thought I should share with you.

Asif said:
Made my day:
Crankin' on opium at the IPL. Whoh, I woz crankin' dudes.
Snorting talcum powder on the plane to Dubai. Lolz, my mate swapped my stuff for Talc! Crankin'!
Being recognised by the Dubai immigration department, "Heyz, there's Asif!". Double-wickiiiid.

Ruined my day:

Arrested for crashing a baggage trolley into a pharmacy. Honest, that's how it must have got in my pocket. LOLZ!
Full cavity search. They didn't even lube up first. Not so crankin'
 

Scaly piscine

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
The moral is more like:

If you cheat a lot and you're terminally stupid just make sure you're in the PCB's good books first.
 

Sanz

Hall of Fame Member
Have long maintained that Asif is no innocent child (as was argued by various members during his altercation with Akhtar and previous dope charge). I seriously hope the guy goes for good.

Wonder how many Pakistani kids ,when they first saw Asif bowl in tests, wanted to be like him.
 

HeathDavisSpeed

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I wonder if Asif has ever been through The Big River Town...
I heard he had dreams of being a journalist, but these got flushed down the toilet with his stash during yet another police raid.

He's part of the Karachi BZP scene though. Crankin'!
 

Smudge

Hall of Fame Member
I heard he had dreams of being a journalist, but these got flushed down the toilet with his stash during yet another police raid.

He's part of the Karachi BZP scene though. Crankin'!
Hmmm, all this talk about the BZP scene is making my zack itchie.
 

Xuhaib

International Coach
Have long maintained that Asif is no innocent child (as was argued by various members during his altercation with Akhtar and previous dope charge). I seriously hope the guy goes for good.

Wonder how many Pakistani kids ,when they first saw Asif bowl in tests, wanted to be like him.
Yup should be the right thing to happen.
 

sirdj

State Vice-Captain
I wonder what Asif did recently to piss off the powers that be of Pak cricket that they have done an about turn on him. They did spend 6.3 million rupees of him just a while back. Could they have not bothered to find out if Asif was worth defending to such an extent before they spent the money on him? Its extremely stupid to spend such a lot of money on him and then suspend him for life where he can't earn the money to pay them back
 

honestbharani

Whatever it takes!!!
I wonder what Asif did recently to piss off the powers that be of Pak cricket that they have done an about turn on him. They did spend 6.3 million rupees of him just a while back. Could they have not bothered to find out if Asif was worth defending to such an extent before they spent the money on him? Its extremely stupid to spend such a lot of money on him and then suspend him for life where he can't earn the money to pay them back
That board got dissolved and a new board has come in.. guess it happened with the new Government taking over...


The Government is too closely linked to the board over there, just like in SL...
 

sirdj

State Vice-Captain
That board got dissolved and a new board has come in.. guess it happened with the new Government taking over...


The Government is too closely linked to the board over there, just like in SL...
In that case all he had to do was to kiss a new set of bums.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
No hard and fast rules in PCB and Pakistan-involved cases. Asif will probably be back sometime, just as Shoaib was recently. Goes without saying that these two being allowed to be essentially as idiotic as they like (and Afridi to a slightly lesser extent as well, obviously) is an incredibly bad precedent to set to Pakistani youngsters.
 

silentstriker

The Wheel is Forever
It's just steroids, what's the big deal. Aside from his stupidity at bringing them to Dubai. And not taking a proper masking agent. Punishment is way too harsh anyway. First there should be a confidential warning, followed by a couple games off, then six months, then a year, etc. I'm more annoyed by a thousand other things in cricket, to worry about steroids.

With that said, he should be banned forever for reasons of excessive stupidity. At the very least you could pull of a Warne and take a masking agent on top, so there would at least be a question mark and you can maintain your denial even if you get banned. Being caught for possession, or just straight up taking nandrolone without any masking agent is so completely stupid - I can't fathom it.
 
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Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
With that said, he should be banned forever for reasons of excessive stupidity.
Yeah, I'm not excessively bothered about the steroid use. It's the fact that he's obviously a disruptive influence - this has been demonstrated by several things besides the steroids - and isn't being punished for it that concerns me. It just sets a bad example and means that more bad influences are going to come through.

And much as steroid use being banned is silly IMO (if it's available to all, what's the difference?), once it's banned you need to make it clear to people that they abide by the rules. My reaction to the first steroid case was a "nothing can be proven there" but since then it's become obvious he has taken banned substances knowingly and you can't just let people be seen to be getting away with rule-breaking.
 

Burgey

Request Your Custom Title Now!
I heard he had dreams of being a journalist, but these got flushed down the toilet with his stash during yet another police raid.

He's part of the Karachi BZP scene though. Crankin'!
Heath, you still coming to Sydney sometime soon?
 

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