LAHORE: Tainted by drugs and spot-fixing allegations, Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Asif believes that he would still make to World Cup 2011 team despite withdrawing his appeal against the ICC’s suspension.
The World Cup 2011 is being jointly staged by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh while Pakistan was omitted as a fourth host nation following the attack on the Sri Lanka team last year. The ICC anti-corruption committee suspended Asif, captain Salman Butt and rookie pacer Mohammad Amir provisionally in September over British tabloid New of the World’s spot-fixing allegations during Pakistan’s tour of England.
The three filed appeal against the suspension and the hearing was to take place at Doha, Qatar but was shifted to Dubai for October 30 and 31. Surprisingly, when the ICC shifted the hearing to Dubai, Asif withdrew his appeal.
However, Salman and Amir would most likely be proceeding to Dubai to attend the hearing. Butt believes that he would come out clean. “I am pretty sure to be cleared of all the charges when the appeals judge Michael Beloff, QC will look into the case in light of the code of conduct,” he said.
Butt said that Mazhar Majeed was looking after his promotional work and there was no clause in the PCB’s code of conduct then that players should inform it about their agents. “I hope soon the suspension will be over and I will be eligible to play again for my country,” said Butt. “God has given me one chance and I am pretty sure he will give me another one.
“I am sure that these things come up in life and you have to stand up and face them,” Butt added here. Asif, however, said he was confident he would be cleared of all the allegations and suspensions time the World Cup was played in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
