KARACHI, Dec 20: The Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Dr Nasim Ashraf has asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to make certain clarifications on the position of former national captain Asif Iqbal who looks set to return to the Pakistan cricket scene in near future.

Well-placed sources in the board disclosed that Dr Ashraf has asked ICC Chief Executive, Malcolm Speed to clarify if there are any restrictions on Asif working as a commentator or in any other official capacity with the board.

Though there has been no circumstantial or incriminating evidence ever found on Asif’s alleged involvement in match-fixing, a number of leading newspapers in England and Australia have repeatedly mentioned his name in the ugly saga which rocked the world of cricket in the late 1990s.

A British tabloid, “News of the World” in fact had carried what it claimed to be a ‘scoop’ obtained through a sting operation to unveil some big names involved in cricket match-fixing. The tabloid also published banned skipper Saleem Malik’s transcript in which he had mentioned Asif’s name.

The former captain, however, preferred not to take any legal action against the newspaper for mentioning his name without substantiating anything.

At about the same time, Sharjah’s Cricketers Benefit Fund Series entrepreneur, Abdul Rehman Bukhatir parted ways with Asif - the then chief coordinator at CBFS — after questions were raised about the status of some one-day games played in the desert kingdom.

It is also no secret that the ICC has listed a few former players on a ‘persona non grata’ list which, in effect, tantamounts to the fact that they are ineligible of holding any official cricket positions or becoming involved in broadcasting. Asif Iqbal, according to sources, figures on that ICC list.

“That is why the query has been made to Speed,” explained one of the sources. “The PCB chief feels that position on Asif Iqbal should be made absolutely clear by cricket’s governing body as he has a lot of regard for the former skipper and is keen to utilise his services,” the source said.

But as far as reports regarding Asif’s own keenness for the post of team’s manager for the World Cup or any other senior position in the board are concerned, the sources say it is mere speculation.

“That is not true. Asif has a lot of business interests and is permanently based in England. He also holds a senior position for the ARY Television network for North America. I don’t think he would be interested in being the manager or even the CEO at the PCB,” said a source privy to the cricket board.

Asif, who was in Pakistan recently during the West Indies series, also vehemently denied being a candidate for any post with the Pakistan team or the board while chatting informally to journalists at one of the ODIs.

However, Asif Iqbal’s re-emergence on the Pakistan cricket scene has definitely set the tongues wagging, and not surprisingly.

According to well-informed sources, the PCB chief has been considering the former hard-hitting batsman for a key position on the new advisory council which is likely to be named in the revised board constitution later next month.

It is also being said that Asif is apparently keen on getting involved in broadcasting and wants to be among the panel of expert commentators.

“In fact, his name was listed on the commentary team for the WI one-dayer in Karachi but for some reason it was later removed as the series was covered jointly by ARY and the Dubai-based Ten Sports channel,” a source disclosed.

“Also, the ICC has some apprehensions about him (Asif) getting involved in broadcasting which could be a hurdle in his way of achieving his goal,” said the source.

The sources added that Asif, perhaps, also played a role in getting the media manager’s position for his ARY colleague and friend Pervez Mir for the World Cup. “It came as a bit of a surprise since it could become a conflict of interest for the board as Mir works for ARY who are the joint broadcasting partners of the PCB,” a senior official at the board pointed out.

“Other media organizations are clearly not happy with Mir’s appointment because they perceive this as giving an edge to his company in gaining the latest info on Pakistan cricket,” another source noted.

Meanwhile, knowledgeable cricketing circles in the country have expressed their reservations about the modus-operandi of the new PCB chairman. They believe that Dr Ashraf has been acting too hastily on sensitive matters and injudicious advice to him from some people might further distance the PCB from the ICC and its member boards.

“One prime example of this is the recent decision to exonerate the two fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif of doping charges,” said a wel-known cricket analyst. “The decision has not gone down well with the purists and the critics around the world and is bound to infest Pakistan cricket in the weeks and months to come.”