* Asif and colleague Shoaib Akhtar were disqualified from the Champions Trophy and punished by the PCB on October 16, 2006, following their failure to pass drug tests for the performance-enhancing steroid nandrolone. 
Cricket was shocked, according to England batsman Andrew Strauss, by the news. “It’s not a great day for any sport when drugs are used, and this is not a great day for cricket,” he added in a BBC Radio Five Live interview.

* Shoaib Akhtar and Asif were banned from professional cricket for a period of two years and one year, respectively, by the PCB on November 1, 2006. The Pakistan Olympic Association now has Asif and Shoaib on its roster of doping offenders. It was discovered by the tribunal established to look into steroid use that Asif had been taking Promax-50, a protein supplement. The panel stated that they had been somewhat lenient with Asif because they thought he was taking too much and had stopped at the physiotherapist’s request.

* Mohammad Asif and Shoaib Akhtar both contested the ban. Another tribunal was established. The panel tasked with hearing their appeal against the drug ban found both of them not guilty on December 5. Justice Fakhruddin Ebrahim and Hasib Ahsan voted two to one in favor of the acquittal. The appeal committee therefore holds that Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif will not be deemed to have committed a doping offense, stated Justice Ebrahim in his statement. As they are against the law, the prohibition and penalty imposed by the previous tribunal are hereby overturned.

* The World Anti-Doping Agency, or WADA, was not happy with the ruling, though, and planned to appeal it. The case will be heard at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland. The world governing body of cricket, the ICC, has backed the WADA appeal and stated its commitment to a drug-free sport.

* Asif made his defense known in a BBC interview on December 6, 2006. Asif said that taking certain protein and vitamin supplements during the team’s 2006 tour of England was the cause of the issue when questioned about why he had Nandrolone in his body. He also blamed the lack of knowledge in Asian nations for the issue. In addition, he said that although there is no information on the quality of the medications, getting them is simpler in Pakistan.

* Just before the team was scheduled to leave for the West Indies on March 1, 2007, team administrators decided that Akhtar and Asif would not be included in the Pakistani roster for the 2007 Cricket World Cup. Their ailments were too serious, according to the PCB and team management, to risk sending them to the Caribbean. Neither of the two had received an official drug test result since they had not been deemed fit. Officials from Pakistan informed unnamed cricket sources that the team management was afraid they wouldn’t pass the doping tests since it was possible that Nandrolone residue remained in their system.

* On July 2, 2007, however, the Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed the complaint, finding that it lacked the authority to contest the PCB’s findings.

* Asif was arrested at Dubai International Airport on June 1, 2008, on suspicion of having prohibited substances in his possession. Asif’s wallet contained an unidentified chemical that was sent for investigation along with a urine sample from the man. The PCB dispatched a senior board official to Dubai to handle the case, and recruited legal counsel to represent Asif. For the forthcoming tri-series in Bangladesh, Asif was left out of Pakistan’s playing lineup and was replaced by rookie Sohail Khan.

* The Dubai public prosecutor dismissed the allegations against Asif on June 19, 2008, citing “insignificance.” “It is definite that he committed the crime as he was caught red-handed,” accused prosecutor Mohammad Al Nuaimi was cited as saying. “However, in certain cases and for a faster litigation process, the Public Prosecution drops a case due to insignificance and deports the suspect.” It was forbidden for him to visit the UAE in the future.

* The next day, Asif went back to Pakistan and expressed gratitude to everyone who had helped with his release. He also said, “I didn’t use any illegal substances. During the Indian Premier League, I underwent two doping tests and cleared both of them. If I had been tested positive, the ICC would not have cleared me. His alleged accomplices include the Pakistani actress Veena Malik, who recently claimed that Asif has not returned her loan amounting to PKR 13 million, which was used for his release.

* The Indian Premier League (IPL) declared in July 2008, shortly after Asif’s return to Pakistan from Dubai, that one of its players had tested positive for prohibited substances during the competition. Asif was identified as the player in question on July 14.

* Mohammad Asif maintained his innocence, his attorney said that his “B” sample will be examined in accordance with WADA guidelines, and the PCB subsequently suspended him from all cricket for an undetermined period of time. He is entitled to file an appeal against his suspension. After Asif tested positive for drugs on February 11, 2009, the Indian Premier League (IPL) banned him for a year, which ended on September 21, 2009. The Delhi DareDevils removed Asif from his contract just before the launch of the IPL. Mohammad Asif Match Fixing Scandal and Spot Fixing Allegation has closed the doors to playing international cricket.