Asif has taken more than 50 Test wickets. Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Asif has apologised to his home nation after spending time in a Dubai jail on suspicion of carrying illegal drugs. Dubai authorities decided not to prosecute and allowed Asif to fly back to Lahore earlier. "I am ashamed of what happened in Dubai and I apologise to the nation," the 25-year-old told reporters on his return, before saying he was innocent. He was detained at Dubai airport on 1 June on his way to Pakistan from India. He was accused of possessing a small amount of opium, but reports said Dubai's public prosecutor decided the case was not significant enough to pursue.
"I was not carrying drugs," said the cricketer - widely regarded as one of Pakistan's best fast bowlers.
"Even in Dubai, the tests conducted on me returned negative. There was no trace of dope in my body," he said. "I don't use drugs. I have learnt my lesson." It is not the first time off-the-field problems have affected Asif's career. In November 2006 both he and fellow fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar were banned after testing positive for the performance-enhancing steroid nandrolone.
But a Pakistan Cricket Board tribunal later lifted the suspensions after ruling that neither player had knowingly taken the substance.
The PCB verdict was later challenged by the World Anti-Doping Authority (Wada), only for the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport to rule that it had no jurisdiction to reverse the decision.
"I was not carrying drugs," said the cricketer - widely regarded as one of Pakistan's best fast bowlers.
"Even in Dubai, the tests conducted on me returned negative. There was no trace of dope in my body," he said. "I don't use drugs. I have learnt my lesson." It is not the first time off-the-field problems have affected Asif's career. In November 2006 both he and fellow fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar were banned after testing positive for the performance-enhancing steroid nandrolone.
But a Pakistan Cricket Board tribunal later lifted the suspensions after ruling that neither player had knowingly taken the substance.
The PCB verdict was later challenged by the World Anti-Doping Authority (Wada), only for the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport to rule that it had no jurisdiction to reverse the decision.
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