The Indian Cricket Site

Mohammad Asif -

1. Oct 16th 2006: "Asif was suspended by the PCB along with team mate Shoaib Akhtar, and was pulled from the Champions Trophy after the pair failed drug tests for the performance-enhancing substance Nandrolone." [March 1st 2007: "Akhtar and Asif were ruled out of the Pakistani squad for the 2007 Cricket World Cup by team officials, minutes before the squad was to depart for the West Indies. .... However, Pakistani officials told cricket sources off the record that the team management had feared that they would fail the doping tests as it was likely traces of Nandrolone were still present in their system.]

2. June 1st 2008: Asif was detained at Dubai International Airport on suspicion of possessing illegal drugs. The charges against Asif were dropped by the Dubai public prosecutor due to "insignificance." The prosecutor, Mohammad Al Nuaimi, was quoted as saying, "It is definite that he committed the crime 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 and deports the suspect."He was banned from entering UAE ever again.

3. "In August 2010, the English Sunday newspaper News of the World published allegations that Asif and fellow bowler Mohammad Amir had deliberately bowled no-balls during Pakistan's 2010 tour of England in return for payment from a betting syndicate, a practice known as spot-fixing."

(all quotes from wikipedia)

.... Mohammad Asif will have an exceptionally fine career as a Pakistani umpire.

But he also added that Pakistan's socio-economic situation needed to be taken into account before rushing in to judge the alleged actions of its cricketers.


"I will never condone any form of fixing, but we should consider that a cricketer might not be thinking of personal gain but of getting money to buy a generator for his village because they don't have electricity."


http://www.cricinfo.com/england-v-pakistan-2010/content/current/story/475154.html

I didn't find much information on Internet regarding this matter.

In some articles I read on cricinfo, Tendular was not much interested in UDRS, but was interested in hawk-eye. Dhoni doesn't value Hawk-eye much. And BCCI, as we all know, is stupid.

I get the impression that since our captain & players don't know how to use UDRS to their advantage, they are against it. In one series, we couldn't use it better and the opposition used it better. So, they are blaming the UDRS for it.

Is my thinking right? or am I missing something?

Yet another scandal rocked Pakistan cricket on Sunday engulfing its captain Salman Butt, brilliant pace duo of Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Aamir and four other players, leading to the arrest of a bookie in London and questioning of the players by the Scotland Yard after a tabloid


Scotland Yard detectives visited the Pakistan dressing room immediately after the third day's play to question the players after the tabloid sting operation exposed 'spot-fixing' and the alleged nexus between the players and bookies.

"Scotland Yard detectives had visited the team hotel where they had taken statements of captain Salman Butt, fast bowlers Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Aamir, and wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal," Pakistan team manager Yawar Saeed told PTI.

The 'News of the World' tabloid alleged that a Pakistani man Mazhar Majeed, who is now under arrest, had paid bribes to the players to bowl no balls in the series and the Lord's Test.

The video evidence that the tabloid has presented also shows Majeed talking about his links with Indian bookies.

"I deal with an Indian party. They pay me for the information," Majeed is quoted as saying.

The International Cricket Council said it was aware of the developments but made it clear that the fourth day's play of the Test will continue as scheduled.

"No players nor the team officials have been arrested in relation to this incident and the fourth Test match will continue as scheduled on Sunday.

"As this is now subject to a police investigation neither ICC, ECB, PCB nor the ground authority, the MCC, will make any further comment," an ICC statement said.

Yawar admitted that the investigators had also spoken to him but denied that the rooms of the players were raided. He also denied seizure of money, laptops and phones of the players from their rooms.

"The police have also spoken to me and we are trying to cooperate with them in every way possible and we are giving them whatever information they want," Yawar said.

But sources said the Scotland Yard detectives gathered some evidence from the hotel after raiding the players' room.

The embattled Pakistan team has also gotten in touch with their High Commission in London for assistance. Confirming this Yawar said, "the High Commissioner is also in touch with the Scotland Yard in this issue. We are cooperating with them."

Besides Majeed, an accomplice of his has also been picked up by the police for questioning. Majeed, 35, was arrested late last night after the tabloid handed over details of its sting operation to the Scotland Yard. The bookie claims to have paid some players in excess of 150,000 pounds to fix the Test match.

"The police have carried out preliminary questioning of some players. Majeed is an old associate and friend of many Pakistani players and is settled in London. He has been seen regularly with the players on the tour," one source said.

"The sad part for the Pakistan cricket is that several leading players are said to be involved in this new scandal which could cause untold damage to Pakistan cricket," he said.

Pakistani TV channels reported that the players had been sounded off about the inquiry when the third day's play ended.

"That is why the players left early for the hotel without anyone attending the mandatory post-play press conference," a source said.

Pakistan had reduced England to 47 for five and then 102 for seven on second day at Lord's but Jonathan Trott and Stuart Broad scored centuries to share a record eighth-wicket partnership of 332 runs.

The two Pakistanis who bowled no balls allegedly on directions from Majeed were Asif and Aamir. Both bowlers delivered three no balls on Thursday and Friday.

The two bowlers delivered the no balls "at precisely the moments promised to our reporter," the tabloid said.

"Our undercover team was posing as front men for a Far East gambling cartel. In return for their suitcase of money Majeed then calmly detailed what would happen - and when - on the field of play next day, as a taster of all the lucrative information he could supply in future," it reported.

Pakistan was bowled out for 74 yesterday and made to follow-on and were reduced to 46 for four at stumps facing certain defeat and a big series loss.

While match-fixing is fixing the result of the whole match, spot-fixing is fixing events within a match, on ball-by-ball basis.

The names of Pakistani players cropped up in match fixing earlier this year as well.

After the tour of Australia, former Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam and assistant coach Aaqib Javed (who is still with the team) had expressed suspicions about Kamran's involvement with bookies after assessing his performance in the Sydney Test.

Meanwhile, Iqbal Muhammad Ali who heads the National Assembly Standing Committee on Sports blamed the PCB and its Chairman Ijaz Butt for the humiliation Pakistan cricket was facing.

"We and the Senate sports committee had warned that if some players were suspected of having ties with bookies they should be dropped from the team and disciplined.

"But no one paid heed. If these players are now guilty we want to see them behind the bars because this conduct is unacceptable," Ali said.

Virender Sehwag worlds best opener : Matthew Hayden

He is the best opener in the world declared Matthew Hayden.He leaves an impact on every match, be it a Test, an ODI or a T20 contest. He brings excitement and drama to the game from the very first ball
It May be a Exaggerating statement to say that Indian Batting Depends upon Virender Sehwag but At lest Current stats especially the ones in Sri Lanka at present depict more or less the same story.

Thanks to Sehwag India has ,managed to reach finals as throughout the ODI Series sehwag has scored 240 runs in four games.Skipper MS Dhoni is a distant second with only 73.

Sehwag also Proved his Mettle Against Lankans in Test by becoming highest run scorer and further wining the Man of the Series award .“He is the best opener in the world,” declared Matthew Hayden, himself an accomplished opener till he retired in 2009. “Few players leave the impact that Virender can leave in a game,” the Aussie told

As Per Hayden Sehwag's leaves a impact on the game then any other opener in all formats of the game from ball one.

"He leaves an impact on every match, be it a Test, an ODI or a T20 contest. He brings excitement and drama to the game from the very first ball.”

Hayden says he is amazed by Sehwag’s ability to play square off the wicket without moving his feet.

“The best thing about his batting is the shots he plays square off the wicket. His ability to go over the top and over backward-point is amazing. It’s such a great strength that few can match. He looks to attack always.”

Hayden, who was also known to be an attacking batsman, is particularly impressed with Sehwag’s track record in Tests. “With Test cricket, we’re not giving as much attention as we should be.

Tests are all about strategy. Virender destroys all strategies. He brings the excitement and drama from the first ball.

If Test cricket is still alive, it is because of players like him. It’s good for the game.”

Hayden says Sehwag is also the best batsman in the Indian team along with Sachin Tendulkar and Suresh Raina. “Among the Indians, he is one of the best along with Sachin but I think Sehwag makes a big impact.”

http://www.criclounge.com/news/1462/Virender-Sehwag-world%E2%80%99s-best-opener-Matthew-Hayden.html