Frustrated Asif wants clarity on playing status

Mohammad Asif, the Pakistan fast bowler, wants a quick resolution to his playing status, which is effectively in limbo after he tested positive for the banned substance nandrolone during the IPL last year.

Asif has appealed against the result but was suspended by the previous PCB administration from all forms of the game pending the outcome of the IPL inquiry. That is a status the current administration has not changed.

Although a preliminary hearing into Asif's case took place on October 11, subsequent delays and the terrorist attacks in Mumbai mean the hearing with the IPL drugs tribunal will now take place on January 24 in London.

"Everyone knows that I am not being allowed to play cricket for the past seven months and I haven't been banned either," Asif told a Pakistani news channel. "I am not sure what I should do. They should either ban me or clear my name so that I can return to play cricket.

"Everyone knows without cricket I am nothing. It is on hold for the past seven months and it is only one-way traffic. I am getting no response either from the board or IPL."

Asif believes he has a strong case for his appeal against the positive test after there emerged a discrepancy in the readings of nandrolone levels in his 'A' and 'B' samples.

"Our stand is very clear - Asif did not take any banned substance and we feel the procedure adopted in the IPL was flawed," Asif's lawyer Shahid Karim said. "As a result, being his lawyer I have no doubt he should be allowed to play domestic and international cricket and the board is wrong to suspend him."