Asif criticises ICC; ban appeal to be heard in February

Disgraced former Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Asif said Monday his appeal against a seven-year ban for spot-fixing will be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in February. The 29-year-old was jailed by a British court in November last year after being found guilty of corruption charges over deliberate no-balls during the Lord's Test against England in August 2010.
Teammates Salman Butt and Mohammad Aamer were also jailed in the same case. All three were freed earlier this year. The International Cricket Council (ICC) also handed the trio long bans. But Asif, who returned to Pakistan on Sunday, told reporters he had taken his case to the Court of Arbitration for Sports.
"I have come home after one year and missed my family, friends and my country," said Asif. "My appeal against the ICC ban will be heard in February next year and I hope that I will get justice." Asif, who has been banned twice for drugs offences, accused the ICC of prejudice. "The ICC was prejudiced in my case and I am going to highlight that during my appeal," he said. "I can never think of staining my country's name and I did nothing wrong.
"It was a case of a no-ball and that can happen in a cricket match. My book on this case is also coming shortly in which I will highlight some points which were not highlighted by the media until now." Asif came to be regarded as one of Pakistan's finest new-ball bowlers after making his debut on the Australia tour in 2004. He took 106 wickets in 23 Tests and 46 wickets in 38 one-day internationals but his career was blighted by controversies.
He and team-mate Shoaib Akhtar failed a drugs test and were banned for one year in 2006, though the ban was later overturned on appeal. He was again banned for a year after failing a drugs test during the Indian Premier League in 2008, and on his return from the league was detained at Dubai airport after a banned drug was found in his possession. Asif said he hoped to return to the game after getting his ban lifted. "I am fit and have played a club-level game in England and once the ban is lifted I am sure I can return to cricket and help my country," he said.