Mohammed Asif arrested in Dubai!

[Murad]

Asif arrested in Dubai
Cricinfo staff
June 3, 2008

Mohammad 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," a senior PCB official told Cricinfo. "So far the authorities haven't told us much but that it is on suspicion of possessing a contraband item."

Though the board had not yet been fully notified, the official said 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.


http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/paki...ry/353425.html

[BANFAN]

You remember Wasim Akram, who was cought doping during a carribean tour and he threw the stuff in the sea. Then denied, I don't exactly remember the timeline at the moment.

Pak-Afg grows the half of world's opium, Chars & Ganza stuff. There is no alchohol avail able except for the elites. So most of the people resort to these easily available stuff. In Afg I saw people smoking chars in public and older people do it at home. Some boys were taking credit that his grand parent is doping for last 40 years and he is so strong.

These are more in tribal cultures, though. This is pretty normal in pak young boys to dope, as Dyle in some BD areas. Off course the report still doesn't confirm him posessing hashish. Just suspicion, won't be surprised if released.

Any expert can say? Does dyle gets caught in ICC dope test? shouldn't, i think it's totally different. No guarrantee of what might happen to BD players, if that's introduced.

[mahbubH]

Asif seems following Shoaib's path. He is such a good bowler ... should not be destroyed himself in this way.

[BANFAN]

Originally Posted by sports_fan_bd
Asif seems following Shoaib's path. He is such a goof bowler ... should not be destroyed himself in this way.

Did you mean good?

[mahbubH]

Originally Posted by BANFAN
Did you mean good?

Thanks!

[Alien]

I looked up on the net and one site says you can get jailed for 15 years for possessing drugs in Dubai. Because he isn't an Arab or Westerner, chances are he'll cop the full 15.

In that case he has bigger things to worry about not what PCB might do to him. In 15 years time his country will most likely be run over by Talibans and cricket there will be history in no time.

[Surfer]

Originally Posted by Alien
I looked up on the net and one site says you can get jailed for 15 years for possessing drugs in Dubai. Because he isn't an Arab or Westerner, chances are he'll cop the full 15.

In that case he has bigger things to worry about not what PCB might do to him. In 15 years time his country will most likely be run over by Talibans and cricket there will be history in no time.

Reality is a little different. Laws are different for the common man and foreign celebrities.

An Indian actor called Raza was arrested in Dubai airport on similar charges. India successfully brought him back though he spent more than a month in Dubai jail.

The only reason charges have not been pressed on Asif is that he is a foreign celebrity. You are the airport authority who finds a star, Asif in possession of illegal drugs. You know the seriousnesses of the case and you know the kind of diplomatic pressure that will be involved in this case. But you cant let him off with the drugs as that is a serious crime. So what do you do? You arrest him but dont press charges giving time to the two governments time to resolve the issue. If your government does not bow to pressure from Pakistan, you press charges. If your government does not want to spoil their relationship with Pakistan, he is immediately deported to his country. Simple.

I think he will get off in a month max.

[Surfer]

BTW the arrest is certainly not by mistake....as its been two days. If it was a mistake, he would have been freed by now.

[BANFAN]

"Yes, we can confirm about Asif's arrest. He was stopped at Dubai airport on charges of carrying opium and was supposed to be brought before the magistrate on Tuesday," the anonymous PCB official said.

Khaleej Times

[Sohel]

WTF's WRONG with these people ?!?

I blame the acceptability of Bollywood khyatami and Diego Armando Maradonna, arguably the most popular athlete in South Asia despite a colorful history of cheating/drug addiction/**oremongering/child abandonment throughout his career, for initiating this disturbing trend in our part of the world.

Danda kothay? If we see more of the just-slap-him-on-the-wrist-again approach here, we'll see more Shoaibs and Asifs, period.

[Mohiul]

When this guy was banned with Shoaib and later on confessed, I took it as he's rectified, but who knows ........

[Yameen]

typical pakis, there such good players but do themselves no favours at all and asif should be banned from cricket for 2 years atleast if indeed found guilty

[Bengaliprince176]

not again......he's such a talented player...what a waste

[Kabir]

Speechless.

All I can say is, I hope these don't come to the BD team ever. Inshallah.

Pathetic to say the least. If he really had opium with himself, he shouldn't be excused. Sports and these drugs do not mix. Period.

[al Furqaan]

Originally Posted by Surfer
BTW the arrest is certainly not by mistake....as its been two days. If it was a mistake, he would have been freed by now.

not really. i can still give asif the benefit of the doubt until they release the substance analysis reports.

you could get arrested by arabs, and provided that you're not white or arab yourself, they could know its a mistake 15 minutes into the investigation, and you'd be free to go home a week later.

the other week minus 15 minutes is so they can get their *paperwork* done.

[Rabz]

What more can i say?

[Tigers_eye]

Originally Posted by al Furqaan
not really. i can still give asif the benefit of the doubt until they release the substance analysis reports.

you could get arrested by arabs, and provided that you're not white or arab yourself, they could know its a mistake 15 minutes into the investigation, and you'd be free to go home a week later.

the other week minus 15 minutes is so they can get their *paperwork* done.

lol, such is your love for fast bowlers. Give it up bro!!

This is not his first time. Did you read what he said on the coverup plea?

Something like "it was in my wallet for months. I didn't even know what it was." how much naive one can be? make up better excuses Asif!!

[akabir77]

Originally Posted by Tigers_eye
lol, such is your love for fast bowlers. Give it up bro!!

This is not his first time. Did you read what he said on the coverup plea?

Something like "it was in my wallet for months. I didn't even know what it was." how much naive one can be? make up better excuses Asif!!

COmon T_E. He is saying the truth. If he knew what it was then he would have smoked it months ago...

[akabir77]

from Dailystar.net

The Mohammad Asif detention case took a new turn Tuesday with the pacer accused of and detained for drug possession, claiming he had been implicated following his brawl with some officials at the Dubai airport.

'Express' television channel claimed to have spoken to Asif who is under detention at the Dubai airport at the moment in which he told them that he had reached Dubai from Mumbai on Sunday a bit tipsy.

Asif claimed he was a bit drunk and got into an argument with airport officials which led to a brawl and he slapped one of them.

The channel said the pacer had told them that the authorities recovered a small quantity of "Shilajit", an Ayurvedic medicine for boosting strength, in his wallet and charged him with possession of opium.

But when 'Geo' channel spoke to the Pakistan Cricket Board's Director Human Resources Nadeem Akram, who is in Dubai, the official denied having any knowledge of the slapping incident.

"I really don't know because neither Asif nor the local authorities have mentioned about this to me," Akram said.

"Right now he is in detention at the airport and the case will go before the public prosecutor this evening. If it is proved he had a banned illegal contraband item on him, he will be charge-sheeted. But we don't want to jump to conclusions right now," he said.

[BANFAN]

Pak has good relation with UAE, that could work to make new stories; if they want to leave him. But UAE even don't leave Shadas for drugs. Anything can happen.

[Tigers_eye]

Originally Posted by BANFAN
Pak has good relation with UAE, that could work to make new stories; if they want to leave him. But UAE even don't leave Shadas for drugs. Anything can happen.

Good thing that this was not in Singapur. I think 15 years is the max penalty in Dubai.

[Fazal]

Originally Posted by Tigers_eye
Good thing that this was not in Singapur. I think 15 years is the max penalty in Dubai.

Are you sure its 15 years and not hands (or even worst Kolla) chop-off?

[Alien]

Originally Posted by Fazal
Are you sure its 15 years and not hands (or even worst Kolla) chop-off?

AFAIK, only Yemen and Saudi are known for that.

[Alien]

Originally Posted by BANFAN
Pak has good relation with UAE

All these Arab countries have good relations with other Muslim countries on government level. Saudi never criticised BD or Khaleda/Hasina for running the country while women in Saudi don't even get to sit in drivers seat. Same with other Arab countries.

On people to people basis, its the same relationship as master and slave.

As for Pak government, they have bigger fish to fry like dealing with Talibans and appeasing America and taking care of suicide bombings than worry about some fast bowling junkie. At most there will be a plea for reduced sentence and thats it.

[Ajfar]

ektar por...ekta zhamela choltei asee..Allahr duniyai ki ar kichu korrar nai...