LAHORE, July 14: Pakistan cricket was rocked by yet another controversy on Monday when it was confirmed that Pakistan’s young fast bowler Mohammad Asif’s dope test, conducted in the first Indian Premier League (IPL) on May 30, has resulted in the positive.

IPL chairman and Commissioner Lalit Modi confirmed on Monday that bowler, who represented Delhi Daredevils in IPL, failed the dope test.

“The news about Mohammad Asif’s dope test has been in the press since the morning but the PCB was officially informed by BCCI at 4.30pm,” PCB Director Cricket Operations (DCO) International, Zakir Khan told reporters in the evening after the shocking news regarding the lanky pacer had been taking rounds for almost seven hours since the morning.

“A lot of technicalities are involved in the case, therefore, it is not appropriate to speak more on the issue. We are expecting the details of the case later tonight,” Zakir said.

“The PCB has informed Asif about his positive dope test with the advice that it is up to him to challenge the B sample and the verdict,” he added. “Asif has replied that he will consult his friends and well wishers and take a decision in next couple of days.”

Though Zakir claimed that the BCCI confirmed the name of Asif at around 4.30pm, a private TV channel had disclosed the news at 11.30am quoting the PCB sources. In fact, the Indian TV channels had released the news late Sunday night.

Zakir, who is possibly the only key official available in the PCB headquarters to speak on the issue, said he tried his best to bring the entire situation to the notice of Chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf, but he was busy in few meetings in London.

PCB’s chief operating officer Shafqat Naghami, who was in Mirpurkhas to take control of a stadium there, could not be reached due to poor telecom signals.

This is the second time in two years that Asif has tested positive, both occasions relating to the ICC Champions Trophy. In the last Champions Trophy held in India in Oct 2006, Asif and fellow pacer Shoaib Akhtar were tested positive for banned substance nandrolone.

And now once again Asif has tested positive when the Champions Trophy-2008 is scheduled to be held in Pakistan in September. The national selection committee had included Asif in the preliminary list of 30 probables for the Champions Trophy which was to be submitted to the ICC on July 11 but the PCB later got an extension till July 15.

Following Asif’s doping saga, the selectors have now been forced to delay the announcement of the Champions Trophy squad till Tuesday.

Asif also made headlines last month when he was detained at the Dubai airport for almost 21 days for allegedly carrying banned substance in his wallet while returning after playing the IPL. An in-house PCB inquiry is yet to start against Asif for the Dubai incident.

“At the moment I can’t say much about Asif’s inquiry on the Dubai incident since things have become more complicated after his positive test in the IPL,” said Zakir.

Meanwhile, the BCCI announced the result Asif’s test after almost one and a half months since the players’ samples were taken on May 30. According to the WADA procedures, it takes a maximum of two weeks to get the results of dope tests from the accredited laboratory.

Dr Meesaq Rizvi, a medical expert on dopeing, told Dawn that the organisers were required to wait for 20 days after receiving the results of the samples before announcing it.

Meesaq said Asif could face a minimum of two year suspension and a maximum of life ban. “His first positive dope test in 2006 will not really count since the case did not come under WADA’s jurisdiction at that time. The world anti-doping body will consider it this as Asif’s first offence but the PCB is also in a position to impose life ban on the bowler,” he said.