Asif stays detained

Mohammad Asif continues to languish in detention with the Dubai attorney-general and public prosecutor's office today not taking any decision on whether to put on trial the Pakistani pace bowler for allegedly possessing of contraband drugs or to deport him.

The law firm hired by the Pakistan Cricket Board to bail Asif out also declined to make any comments on the issue that had become an increasing source of embarrassment for Pakistan's cricket authorities. Mr Nadeem Akram, a senior PCB official now in Dubai, said no decision had been taken on Asif's case and they were still awaiting word from the attorney-general's office.“All these rumours of him being charged are not true. I will not substantiate them. The position is that the AG has yet to decide on the report of the prosecutor and until that is done, Asif will remain in detention,” Mr Akram said. No official was willing to give a deadline on when a decision from the authorities in Dubai could be expected, which might suggest the cricketer's ordeal was far from over. Sources close to the case said the board, despite its best efforts, was not sure Asif would be released. Senior board officials were said to have raised the Asif issue with Pakistan's top security officer, Mr Rehman Malik, in Islamabad on the sidelines of a meeting to review security arrangements for the Asia Cup and the Champions Trophy. The player yesterday appeared before the prosecutors along with his lawyers. After that, the case was forwarded to the attorney-general of Dubai.