September 20 2008

The lawyer for suspended Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Asif is unhappy over the delay for hearing. He requested to give an earliest possible date so that they can use their right to appeal against a positive doping test. Asif was tested and results came out positive for the banned steroid nandrolone.

He used it when he was participating domestic Twenty20 competition in India. After these results he was immediately suspended by the Pakistan Cricket Board. The positive test was declared in July of this year. He declared it untrue that he took any kind of banned medicines.

His 'B' sample was also sent and came out positive. Asif's lawyer Shahid Karim stated that they would appeal. He stated on last month; his statement came out when the results for the 'B' sample were announced to be positive. Although declaration was made on Saturday but hearing was delayed; he was frustrated by that situation.

Karim said that there is no reason for this long delay in giving a date; it is strange. He said that at first they were forcing for a quick hearing but now they are delaying it. Karim said that for appeal he was given a date of 30th of August. He requested to delay it until 15th of September to prepare for it.

The date of 15 September also passed away. The new hearing date will be announced later and notification will be issued for it to Asif’s lawyer. Mohammad Asif was detained by Dubai security authorities for nineteen days in June. The airport security personals caught him red handed with a very little amount of an illegal drug.

Two years ago (in 2006) he had already been accused and tested positive for nandrolone. He was punished by PCB as a result of that and banned for two years. However, later on this sanction was lifted from him by the board's anti-doping appeals committee.