Pakistan's Asif to go for B sample test, lawyer says by AFP

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Player:

Mohammad Asif

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DateLine: 15th July 2008

 

Pakistan paceman Mohammad Asif will seek a "B sample" test after testing positive for a banned substance during play in the Indian Premier League (IPL), his lawyer said Tuesday.

 

The IPL announced on Monday that the 25-year-old fast bowler had failed a drugs test at the lucrative Twenty20 tournament held from April to June.

 

"We will fight the case because we believe that our client has not taken any drug so we will go for the B sample test and do whatever required to clear Asif's name," lawyer Shahid Karim told AFP.

 

The announcement, the latest in a series of shocks for Pakistani cricket, comes a month after Asif was seized at Dubai airport while returning home from India on charges of possessing opium.

 

He was detained for 19 days before being deported by police in the Gulf emirate, who said the quantity of illegal drugs found was "insignificant."

 

In October 2006, Asif was banned for one year and fellow fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar for two years after they failed dope tests conducted internally by the PCB.

 

The bans were however overturned on appeal.

 

Karim said Asif was shocked at the development but was very confident that his name would be cleared.

 

"Asif is a talented bowler and wants to play for his country. He is confident that he will get out of this trouble and play again for the country," said Karim.

 

Pakistani anti-doping expert Danish Zaheer said the IPL had violated rules by naming Asif before the B sample was tested.

 

"They should not have named the player because the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) rules say that you can't name the player until the B sample is tested, and Asif should go for the B sample test," Zaheer told AFP from Brunei.

 

Pakistan were meanwhile set to drop Asif from a provisional 30-man squad for September's Champions Trophy, in an announcement expected later Tuesday.

 

The Pakistan Cricket Board said on Monday that it would look into the legal aspects of Asif's case before deciding whether to take any further steps against the paceman.

(Article: Copyright © 2008 AFP)