Asif held with drugs at Dubai airport

New Delhi:

Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Asif has been arrested at the Dubai International airport for possession of contraband drugs.

Asif was in India to play for Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League. He was apparently carrying illegal drugs with him while going to Pakistan from Mumbai via Dubai.

According to the sources, Asif was detained on Sunday and he confessed of carrying opium with him. He was taken for questioning to an undisclosed location. In Dubai, there are only two police stations( Dera and bur-Dubai) where such cases are referred to.

With the help of constant efforts by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), he is due to appear before a magistrate on Tuesday in Dubai and is expected to get bail, sources familiar with the case said.

"He was arrested and detained on Sunday at the airport by custom officials. The board came to know about the issue only on Monday and since then has been busy seeking help of influential officials in Dubai to get the bail for him," the source said.

Former Pakistan player and Director of National Cricket Academy Mudassar Nazar, who is in Dubai, has been also asked to help out in the case.

Mohd Asif also found a place in the squad for the tri-series in Bangladesh starting from June 8.

It will be interesting to see, if granted bail, will Pakistan send him to Bangladesh.

Asif's case history

Asif was involved in a drug controversy earlier as well. Asif and Shoaib Akhtar had tested positive for a banned substance Nandrolone in an internal dope test carried out by the Pakistan Cricket Board in October 2006. Consequently, both missed out on the Champions Trophy held in India.

Before the 2007 World Cup, he was involved in a tiff with Shoaib Akhtar during a practice session in South Africa. Akhtar hit him with a bat. As a disciplinary measure, PCB called Akhtar back and he missed the World Cup.

(With PTI inputs)