Mohammad Asif, who was caught for spot-fixing, believes of returning to the international arena when Pakistan would tour Australia at the end of this year.
Asif boasted his extraordinary bowling performances in the region when he last toured New Zealand and Australia in 2009 and 2010 respectively.
Talking to the sources, Asif said, “Hopefully I will do well in Pakistan and get selected for the national team for the tours to New Zealand and Australia.”
The right-arm pacer is currently playing for Christiania Cricket Club in Oslo.
The right-arm from Sheikhupura has an impressive 106 scalps in his 14 Test outings for Pakistan.
“It’s quite difficult after five years to come down and bowl fast, but I’m a different kind of bowler.” he maintained
The 33-year-old has been kept away from competitive cricket at home, as he went unpicked in recent Pakistan Super League and Pakistan Cup events.
His ban expired last year at the end of Pakistan’s domestic cricket season, however, he made his List-A return in the National One-Day Cup, where he picked 7 wickets in as many games at the strike rate of 43.
Asif was also left out from the five-team Pakistan Cup.
Asif was destructive with the ball when Pakistan last visited the British shores in 2010. He bagged 33 wickets in six Tests against Australia and England.
He believes in his ability to make a convincing return: “In my hands, the ball will talk, not me.”
“The dream is just to come back to play for three to four years. I want to play a good standard of cricket again. ”
After his ban expired, Asif was allowed to train along side the national team at the National Cricket Academy, something which makes the 33-year-old hopeful to wear Pakistan colours again.
“I got on with the side very well. It was the same as before 2010 happened. I have the same relationship with them.”
The spot-fixing scandal was not the first instance that saw Asif leaping beyond the ethical and legal parameters.
In his five years long international career till 2010, he had been banned twice for testing positive in dope tests, and he was once jailed in the United Arab Emirates for the possession of recreational drugs.
Asif has become a part of PCB’s anti-corruption campaign and he regularly lectures the aspiring cricketers at home. He has also offered his services to the International Cricket Council.
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