July 19, 2008	Saturday	Rajab 15, 1429

KARACHI, July 18: Pakistan paceman Mohammad Asif tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone during the Indian Premier League (IPL), his lawyer said on Friday.

“The IPL have informed us that the ‘B’ sample of his urine could possibly be tested in the same laboratory in Switzerland on July 28,” Shahid Karim, Asif’s lawyer, said.

“Asif is very keen to have his name cleared so he is anxious to go to Switzerland because he is confident to get out of this mess and play,” added Shahid.

Shahid is confident his client will be cleared by testing of his ‘B’ sample.

“As a lawyer, I am quite hopeful that Asif will come out clean from this doping case and will again represent Pakistan in international cricket,” he said.

The lawyer was angered by the public release of Asif’s positive ‘A’ sample test.

“There are certain rules which were not followed in this case,” Shahid stated.

“The authorities should have waited for the ‘B’ sample test before revealing the identity of the player.” Asif, 25, was named on Monday as the player who tested positive for a banned drug during the IPL held between April and June, and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) suspended him on Tuesday.

It is the second time in his career that Asif has tested positive for the substance, having been found with nandrolone in his system in October 2006 along with team-mate Shoaib Akhtar.

Asif had a taste of trouble earlier this year when he was seized at the Dubai airport while returning from the IPL in India on June 1 on charges of possessing opium.

He was detained at the airport for 19 days before the Gulf police deported him after they found the quantity of the drug “insignificant.”

The fast-rising bowler was banned for one year after he first tested positive for nandrolone two years ago, while Shoaib got a two-year lay-off. Both bans were overturned on appeal.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said on Friday that it was monitoring Asif’s case.

“We are monitoring the case and since it is under process we would not like to comment any further. The ‘B’ sample test is a player’s right,” Media Manager Frederic Donze said.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is tight-lipped about the public prosecutor's report they have received from Dubai on the circumstances leading to the detention of fast bowler Mohammad Asif in Dubai last month.

A senior official, however, confirmed that the report did mention that the authorities while detaining Asif at the airport had found a small quantity of contraband item on him. "We are still going through the details of the report but yes it was a contraband item.

“We have summoned him on July 23 to face the fact finding committee of the board for this case,” said Nadeem Akram who is director administration in the board.

Incidentally, Nadeem is also a member of the fact finding panel formed to look into Asif's detention in Dubai.—Agencies