Breaking News- Asif arrested in Dubai for possession of illegal drugs
on June 3rd, 2008 at 5:33 amMohammad Asif, the Pakistan fast bowler, has been held in Dubai on suspicion of possessing drugs. The fast bowler, who tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone, nearly two years ago, was held back by local authorities the day before yesterday though it is believed that they have not yet registered a case against him.
“Mohammad Asif has been held up since the day before yesterday in Dubai, it was believed Asif was caught with a drug, either opium or hashish. Local TV channels have been reporting it as the former. When asked whether the PCB had provided any legal help to Asif in Dubai, the official said only that the situation will be made clear at a press conference the board will hold on the situation this afternoon at 12.30pm (PST).
Asif, along with Shoaib Akhtar, tested positive in an internal dope test conducted by the Pakistan board in October 2006. He was initially banned for one year, though the ban was overturned on appeal a month later. Since then, one of the most promising fast bowlers on the world circuit has been dogged by a long-standing elbow problem. The injury had already taken the sheen away from a prodigious start to his international career and this new development is likely to do so even more.
So far all the efforts by PCB to get him released have not been successful because of strict laws in Dubai relating to the possession of drugs, PCB is sending Sohail Khan to Bangladesh in his place, both opium and Hashish are considered to be performance enhancing drugs by WADA, Asif had a court hearing today in front of a magistrate so far it has not been confirmed if he has been convicted or not but one news channel has confirmed that he admitted to the crime in front of the magistrate.
Update
Asif is still in detention, the results of his tests have arrived and they are being reviewed at the moment and will be presented in front of the magistrate on Thursday and depending upon the results it will be decided if he is going to be prosecuted or not, the test results will determine, the truthfulness of Asif’s statement that “he is not using those drugs anymore, they were given to him by a Hakeem six months ago and he forgot that one dose was still in his wallet ”. If he was not using this drug then his Urine test will come out clean and he might get released, also the test will exactly determine what kind of substance he was carrying.
Also it is yet to be seen if ICC or PCB are going to take any action against him, it will all depend upon the judgement of that Magistrate in Dubai.
More to follow
The latest news is that Asif’s Urine and blood tests have been free of drugs,now probably he will be charged with just the possesion of drugs,so far the Dubai authorities have said that they will not let Asif get away just because of his star status, Since no drugs have been found in his system, Asif’s case has become stronger…
A decision is expected on Sunday.
PCB will not be lenient with him, otherwise they will get accused for double standards.
The guy is again making stupid excuses.
First he said that he was drunk and slapped one of the officers at Airport, who in retaliation framed him and planted the drugs in his Wallet.
Then the story changed, it was his own stuff which a “Hakeem” (a herbal doctor) gave him longtime ago for his elbow injury, he kept it in his wallet and forgot about it.
The hakeem excuse was successfully used by him when he tested positive last time. It seems he is hooked on to whatever that Hakeem gives him.Its a lame excuse he cannot play ignorant again and get away with it.
He is alcoholic and a drug addict. I am surprised PCB tried their best to coverup the whole issue.Even now they are trying to act as if nothing has happened.
Its quite strange first their was a news planted in a Pakistani newspaper about Shoaib Akhter carrying syringes in his hand luggage on his way to India,that news was completely fabricated and put Shoaib under a lot of stress,after that news Shoaib couldn’t perform well and was benched by the KKR, and ICC ordered dope tests of Pak players in IPL just because of that news.
Now Asif’s wallet getting checked at Dubai Airport, is it a return of favor he is getting or just a mere coincidence.
I think Dubai authorities acted on a tip.
SP its not money, it is just plain stupidity.
another case of money f@cking one’s brain…
these newbies definitely require some counseling or they will perish following thin air…