Mohammad Asif (cricketer)

Mohammad Asif (Urdu between 2005 and 2010.

Asif was born in Sheikhupura, and has played first-class cricket for Khan Research Labs, the National Bank, Quetta, Sheikhupura, Sialkot and Leicestershire. He made his Test match debut for the Pakistan cricket team against Australia in January 2005. In 2010, Asif was ranked second leading Test bowler, just behind Dale Steyn.

In 2006, Asif was involved in controversy after he tested positive for anabolic steroid Nandrolone, leading to the imposition of a ban which was later overturned on appeal. He was later withdrawn from Pakistan's World Cup squad with an unrelated injury. Further cricket controversy followed when he was detained in Dubai suspected of having drugs on his person and was then found to have tested positive for a banned substance during the Indian Premier League. In August 2010 he was accused by the News of the World of deliberately bowling no-balls in return for payment from a betting syndicate. On 5 February 2011 a 3-man tribunal, appointed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) gave the verdict that he was to be banned for 7 years, with 2 of those suspended if no further offences were committed. In November 2011, Asif was convicted, along with Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir, of conspiracy charges relating to spot-fixing. On 3 November 2011, Asif was given a one-year prison sentence for his role in the scandal.

On 19 August 2015, the ICC suspended its previous orders and allowed Asif to play all formats of the game, effective as of 2 September 2015. He played in his first match after the ban when he represented Water and Power Development Authority in the third round of the 2016–17 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy in October 2016.

Personal life

Public and media reports in Pakistan surfaced that Asif had married Pakistani actress and model Veena Malik, on 28 May 2009, in a private ceremony in London. However it was denied later that the marriage had taken place.

In April 2010, Veena Malik filed a complaint against Asif claiming that he threatened to harm her if she did not stop pursuing her demand that he return the loan of around Rs 14 million he had taken from her. Later, she served a legal notice on Asif, after two cheques he gave her to settle the outstanding amount were bounced.

On 2 March 2010, Asif announced his engagement to Sania Hilal in Lahore. The couple wed on 1 October 2010, and Asif was reported as stating that he hoped marriage would change his life in a positive way. Attendees included Pakistan Test cricket captain Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan

Bowling style

A right hand medium fast bowler with a smooth action and short run up. Asif was able to swing the ball both ways without much change in his bowling action. He also would be able to create sharp seam movement which he was able to do by alternation off fingers whilst releasing the ball. He was able to confuse batsmen as to which way the ball would move and would use his skills to a devastating effect. He was regarded by several batsman as one of the toughest fast bowler ever faced. Great batsmen such as: AB de Villiers, Kevin Pietersen and Hashim Amla have regarded him amongst their toughest bowlers ever faced. England pace bowler James Anderson complimented Asif as key to his development of his seam movement, saying he watched Asif bowl his "Wobble Seam" method.

Cricket career

After impressing in domestic Pakistani cricket, Asif was fast tracked into the Pakistan test squad and made his first appearance against Australia in January 2005. He bowled 18 overs without taking a wicket and Australia won by 9 wickets.

Asif was subsequently dropped from the side but he returned a year later in January 2006 for the home tour against India. In the second Test, Asif bowled 34 overs and took the wicket of Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh. It was the third Test in Karachi, however, where Asif would make headlines. After a poor batting display by Pakistan, Asif took 4 for 78 in the first innings, including the wickets of V. V. S. Laxman, Rahul Dravid and, once again, Yuvraj Singh, to help Pakistan take a six-run lead. Asif returned in the second innings with three clean bowled wickets of Virender Sehwag, Laxman, and Sachin Tendulkar to lead Pakistan to victory. His series against the Indians was blighted by a fine imposed by match referee Chris Broad for over-appealing and premature celebration of a wicket.
The ODI series that followed this Pakistan lost 4–1 to India.

Asif followed up his match-winning efforts against India in Pakistan's next tour in Sri Lanka, where he took a career-best 11 for 70 in the 2nd Test, in another come-from-behind victory.

In November 2005, Leicestershire announced the signing of Asif for the 2006 season after he had played a game for their second XI in 2004. Leicestershire's chairman Neil Davidson described him as a "bowler with the ability to generate great pace". Asif did relatively well picking up 25 wickets in 7 first-class games before leaving to join the Pakistan squad for their tour of England. Asif was due to line up again with Leicestershire for the 2007 season but due to injury problems was asked not to play by the PCB.

Asif missed the first three Tests in Pakistan's tour to England in the summer of 2006, but returned to the side for the fourth Test and immediately made an impact, picking up four wickets (Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Paul Collingwood and Kevin Pietersen) in the first innings at the Oval, and another in the second (Marcus Trescothick

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