Mohammad Asif has finally arrived in Lahore, ending a 19-day ordeal after the authorities in Dubai decided to release him from detention for carrying contraband drugs. The PCB has decided to get to the "bottom of the truth" and they will start by quizzing the Hakeem, who had given Asif the banned drug as a "medicine".
For Asif, the golden words of freedom must have come as a huge sigh of relief. Held in detention for 19 days in Dubai, not many including the Pakistan fast bowler himself would have known when he would get to set foot on home soil again.
"I was cleared in all my tests there. There were two tests one during the IPL, which I cleared as well. Had I tested positive, the ICC would have banned me already. (PCB official) Nadeem Akram's presence gave me a lot of hope while I was in detention," Asif said upon his arrival in Lahore on Friday.
Though it is difficult to put a finger on whether State intervention saved the day for the young fast bowler, the Dubai authorities' statement on his release does leave unanswered questions.
Mohammad Al Nuaimi, the Dubai Public Prosecutor, said: "It is definite that he committed the crime of smuggling and possessing 0.24 grams of opium as he was caught red-handed. However, in certain cases and for a faster litigation process the Public Prosecution drops a case due to insignificance."
However, Asif's road back in to the Pakistan team will not be as quick. The PCB says they will continue their investigations into the matter.
"PCB intends to conduct an immediate inquiry into this matter, as per its policies and procedures, once the official records are received from the UAE authorities," a PCB statement said.
Cricket leaves a lot to be desired as far as discipline is concerned. Will Asif's case get the cricket authorities to come up with an exemplary censure, or will he get back to his ways without a fig to care about this episode that certainly shamed Pakistan cricket?
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