Accuracy and seam movement was the key to his bowling, not express but certainly dynamic - Mohd Asif emerged as the most promising new ball bowler in international cricket, his talent earning him the nomination for the emerging player of the year award for 05-06...But of late the lad had made it to the top stories not for cricket but for the use of anabolic steroid nandrolone. A three member tribunal of the PCB banned him and his fellow teammate Shoaib Akhtar for using the performance enhancer and banned the duo from all forms of international and domestic cricket; Shoaib is reprimanded from the game for two tears and Asif to face a twelve moth exile.
Mohammad in his first public statement since he tested positive, has insisted he had never deliberately taken any prohibited substance. The 23-year old will make an appeal against his one year ban from the game.
“I will appeal this ban and fight it out. I had never thought of a such a situation in my career,” “Sometimes you go through a crisis, like you don’t get wickets or you are out of favour with selectors - but this is something I never thought of.”
he said.
The reason that the tribunal gave for his relaxed penalty, in comparison to Shoaib is that he has never tested positive before...I am not satisfied with the explanation - it’s dubious. His plea should be accepted and he should be given a chance to defend himself. Shoaib is desperate to clear his name of the scandal too; he is even willing to sell out his property to pay for the legal proceedings to defend himself. The duo is a major force of the Pakistani squad, if the bans are finally imposed then that will be a massive blow for Pak as they will have to play the World Cup (just four months away) without them.
Via: bbc
