Pakistan recall a 'rebirth' for Asif

Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Asif has described his recall to international cricket as a "rebirth" after a tumultuous two-and-a-half years in which he failed dope tests and was embroiled in a detention case in Dubai. Asif was named in the 30-man probables squad for the Champions Trophy in South Africa this September.

Asif is currently banned from playing any form of cricket till September 22, after testing positive for the banned anabolic steroid Nandrolone during the IPL last year. Pakistan play their first game of the Champions Trophy on September 23, against West Indies.

"You can say that it's a sort of rebirth for me," Asif told AFP. "I was performing well but then suddenly my career derailed and it was tough to get over those difficult days."

Asif's troubles began in October 2006 when he first tested positive for Nandrolone before the Champions Trophy in India. He had pleaded ignorance over the substances he was using and though he was initially banned for a year, that punishment was scrapped on appeal. In June 2008, he was detained at Dubai airport for allegedly possessing opium. He was deported after 19 days after prosecutors argued that the offence was a 'trivial' one and a case not worth pursuing. Asif was fined Rs 1 million (US$12,500) by the Pakistan board over his detention. He was banned by the IPL for the steroids offence this February but the one-year ban was back-dated to September last year, thereby making him eligible for the Champions Trophy.

Asif said he was determined to put the past behind him and also work on his fitness.

"Maybe these events happened so that I could learn my lesson," Asif said. "I would like to forget what happened to me over the last two years. I have learnt my lessons and will definitely do my best to avoid anything like this in the future.

"[The incidents] may have happened to teach me a lesson or to give me a chance to fully recover from an elbow injury which was hampering in bowling."

He added that he was shaping up well as far as his bowling was concerned. "I am fit and have been bowling in the best of rhythms," he said. "South Africa is my favourite place and I did well when we went there to play a Test series in 2007, so this time around, again I want to help my team win the Trophy."

Asif last played for Pakistan in a one-day international in Karachi in April 2008.