Mohammad Asif Match Fixing Scandal, Brief Biography | a Pakistani former Cricketer
Mohammad Asif early days
Brief info of the early days of the Mohammad Asif match fixing scandal. Born December 20, 1982, is a Pakistani former cricketer who played for the Pakistani national cricket team between 2005 and 2010.
Asif was born to a Gujjar family in the small farming town of Machikay near Sheikhupura, in Pakistan’s central Punjab region.
His father, Hasan Deen, is a farmer who opposed Asif’s intention to play professional cricket, preferring that his four sons work in the family business of agriculture and animal breeding.
He made his Test debut for the Pakistan cricket team against Australia in January 2005.
Height:- 6 feet 4 inches (193 cm)
Left-handed batting and right arm-medium fast.
National: Pakistan 2005–2010
Test debut: 3 January 2005 vs Australia
ODI debut: 21 December 2005 vs England
T20I debut: August 28, 2006 vs England
Last Test: August 26, 2010 vs England.
Last ODI: 21 June 2010 vs Bangladesh
Last T20I: 6 May 2010 vs England
In 2006, Mohammad Asif tested positive for the anabolic steroid Nandrolone, resulting in a ban that was eventually overturned on appeal. He was later withdrew from Pakistan’s World Cup roster due to an unrelated injury. Further cricket controversy erupted when he was stopped in Dubai, suspected of having drugs on his person, and later discovered to have tested positive for a banned substance during the IPL.
In August 2010, the News of the World accused him of purposely bowling no-balls in exchange for money from a betting syndicate. On February 5, 2011, an ICC-appointed three-man tribunal ruled that he would be banned for seven years, two of which would be suspended if no future infractions were committed. Asif, Salman Butt, and Mohammad Amir were convicted of spot-fixing conspiracy in November 2011. On November 3, 2011, Asif received a one-year prison sentence for his involvement in the incident.
On August 19, 2015, the ICC suspended its prior decisions and let Asif to play all formats of the game beginning September 2, 2015. He appeared in his first match after the ban, representing the Water and Power Development Authority in the third round of the 2016-17 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy in October 2016.
Personal life
* According to claims in Pakistani media, Mohammad Asif married Pakistani actress and model Veena Malik in a private wedding in London on May 28, 2009.However, it was later denied that the marriage occurred. Veena Malik filed a complaint against Asif in April 2010, stating that he threatened to harm her if she would not cease pursuing her demand that he repay the Rs 14 million loan he had received from her.
* On March 2, 2010, Asif announced his engagement to Sania Hilal in Lahore. The couple married on October 1, 2010, and Asif was quoted as saying that he thought marriage will positively impact his life. Attendees included Pakistan Test Cricket. Mohammad Asif Match Fixing Scandal and Spot Fixing Allegation have raised questions in both his personal and professional lives.
Bowling action and Style
* A right-handed medium-fast bowler with a smooth movement and a short run-up. Mohammad Asif was able to swing the ball both ways with little alteration to his bowling movement. He was also able to produce sharp seam movement by swapping fingers when releasing the ball. He was able to deceive batsmen about which way the ball would move and used his abilities to devastating effect.
* Several batsmen considered him as one of the toughest fast bowlers they had ever encountered. Great batsmen like AB de Villiers, Kevin Pietersen, and Hashim Amla describe him as one of the toughest bowlers they’ve ever faced. England fast bowler James Anderson credited Asif with helping him develop his seam movement, stating he observed Asif bowl with his wobble seam style.
Mohammad Asif made history
* He made history as the first Twenty20 cricketer to bowl a maiden over. In addition, he took two wickets during the over, the first being Kevin Pietersen for a golden duck, and the second being Andrew Strauss, who did not score.
* Asif took 19 wickets in Pakistan’s test series against South Africa in 2007. This feat propelled him to eighth place in the LG ICC Test player rankings after only nine appearances, matching Waqar Younis and Pervez Sajjad’s record for the fewest matches taken by a Pakistan bowler to reach the top ten. His spell of 5 for 76 was voted the third best Test bowling performance of the year by ESPN.
IPL
* Following Pakistan’s 2-1 test series loss to South Africa, captain Inzamam-Ul-Haq hailed Asif’s performance, saying, “Asif has immaculate length control and a natural ability to swing the ball both ways.” He is very fast to identify and address batsmen’s weaknesses.” Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer stated, ” Mohammad Asif is a modern-day fast bowler in the mould of Shaun Pollock and Glenn McGrath. He gives you control and can strike the seam and make the ball go both ways.
* In August 2007, he joined the IPL, He was subsequently drafted by the Delhi DareDevils for US$650,000. In the week before the 2007 Twenty20 world cup match in South Africa, Shoaib Akhtar was rumoured to have hit Asif with a bat, leaving a bruise on his left thigh. According to sources, the two were involved in a dressing room spat which resulted in Asif being struck by a bat on his left thigh. Sources said the fight between the two started after Asif and Shahid Afridi disagreed with Shoaib that he shared the same stature as Imran Khan in Pakistan cricket and even ridiculed him for making such a comparison.
* The damage was assumed to be minor, like a bruise, but a team investigation was underway Following the initial investigation, it was determined that Shoaib was at fault, and he was recalled from the Twenty20 World Cup squad and returned home. The PCB also punished him for five matches, and a lifetime ban appears to be coming. Akhtar later claimed that Afridi was to blame for the incident, adding, “He made some negative things about my family. And I couldn’t bear them. Afridi, on the other hand, rejected the charges, claiming that Asif would have sustained more damage if he had not intervened. Even Asif joined in, alleging that Shoaib was lying and that Shahid Afridi had nothing to do.
Mohammad Asif Match Fixing Scandal and Ban.
1.Mohammad Asif Match Fixing Scandal, In August 2010, the English Sunday daily News of the World released suspicions that Asif and colleague bowler Mohammad Amir had intentionally thrown no-balls during Pakistan’s 2010 tour of England in exchange for money from a betting syndicate, a practice known as spot-fixing.
2.On September 1, 2010, during Pakistan’s warm-up List A game against Somerset, the International Cricket Council confirmed that Asif had been suspended in accordance with the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Code. According to the ICC statement, the three players (Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Amir, and Salman Butt) were charged “under various offenses under Article 2 of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code for Players and Player Support Personnel relating to alleged irregular behavior during, and in relation to, the fourth Test between England and Pakistan at Lord’s.
3.He lodged an appeal against the suspension, but later withdrew it, saying he wanted the Scotland Yard investigation to finish before he filed an appeal against his ban because he was aware of the charges brought against him. Three cricketers, including Asif and Amir, were implicated in the scandal, including Salman Butt, who said in December that he wanted his hearing postponed until the Scotland Yard investigation was finished. Because they wanted to make their decisions swiftly in order to be included in Pakistan’s provisional World Cup team, Asif and Amir said they would not participate in the teleconference concerning Butt’s request for the hearing to be postponed.
4.The verdict from the tribunal was delivered on February 5, 2011. After being found guilty of intentionally bowling no-balls, Asif received a seven-year cricket ban, the last two of which were postponed provided he did not commit any more violations. In addition, Asif participated in an anti-corruption program run by the Pakistani Cricket Board.
Mohammad Asif, Amir, and Butt were found guilty on November 1, 2011, at Southwark Crown Court, of conspiring to cheat at gambling and to receive corrupt money.
After serving his entire sentence, Mohammad Asif was freed from HM Prison Canterbury in Canterbury, England on May 3, 2012.
Drugs
* 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.
