The naturally gifted swing bowler Muhammad Asif, recently talked about his mistakes, regrets and hopes for the future as he tries to rebuild his tainted career after a stint in prison and a five-year suspension from cricket.
Asif, whose career went spiralling down after he was charged with spot-fixing at Lord’s in 2010, hopes to return to the iconic venue as part of the Pakistan squad which will tour England next year.
Speaking to Telegraph Sport from his residence in Lahore, Asif has promised to act as a counsellor for young cricketers; citing his example to the youngsters so that they don’t stray from the path and suffer like he did.
He also reveals that he has been playing low-level club cricket in Norway in order to stay fit and that Salman Butt and Muhammad Amir, his accomplices in the spot-fixing scandal, have been a source of support for him over the last tumultuous five years.
“That was a huge mistake and yes it’s a huge regret,” he says about the no-ball he bowled to order.
“It’s a mistake that I want to warn the next generation of cricketers about and to ensure they learn from me and to make sure they don’t make the same mistakes that I made.
“I will speak with those young players face to face if the International Cricket Council (ICC)and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) want me to and lecture them about what I have faced in these last five years and warn them of the consequences.
“The last five years of my life have been very harsh and very hard for me. The toughest part of it was that I couldn’t enter the grounds that I have played cricket all my life on and go out there and play a sport that I have always loved and have a passion for. It wasn’t just tough for me, but it was also a very difficult time for my family. My family offered me a lot of support during these tough times particularly when I was serving time in prison in the United Kingdom.”
Asif was found guilty after a four-week trial and sentenced to one year’s imprisonment for conspiracy to accept corrupt payments and conspiracy to help others to cheat at gambling.
Although Asif initially denied all charges, he had no option but to admit culpability in 2013 after he had exhausted all legal options.
“I never thought that one day I would be sat in a prison cell,” he said. “But such is life, anything is possible. There have been many people who have had tough periods in their life and got through it. It was the same for me, I just wanted to get that tough period of my life over with and move forward. Nelson Mandela is someone who also had to go to prison and he got through that difficult time and he was my inspiration when I was in prison.
“Salman [Butt] shared a cell with me for the first couple of months of our sentence before we moved cells and yes that was a help. It was a daunting time and I had no idea what to expect, so yes having a familiar face with me was probably a help. We supported each other in prison especially during the time we shared a cell.
“We [Asif, Amir and Butt] were all down during these last five years. It was difficult to meet each other as we knew that the conversation would keep leading to us talking about the difficulties we were facing and what happened, so we only met occasionally and that was just to offer each other support.”
The three cricketers have followed different trajectories since their release. Amir’s image has been carefully crafted by his management; projecting him as a naïve teenager corrupted by Butt.
Butt, on the other hand, has continued to make television appearances by working as a studio analyst on cricket and gaining some support by hinting at being a victim of an international conspiracy during television appearances.
Asif, however, has been able to receive little sympathy at home due to his controversial past; he tested positive twice for steroids and in 2008 spent three weeks in prison in Dubai when he was caught at the airport travelling with a recreational drug in his wallet.
Over the past five years Asif dropped off the radar from Pakistani public life, choosing to play cricket in Norway among the ex-pat community at a level that would not contravene his ICC ban.
“During the last two years I’ve spent a lot of time in Norway with friends, playing a lot of cricket there. I have some good friends out in Norway and they invited me there to play some club cricket and to train with them,” he said.
“I had a fitness schedule which consisted of swimming, gym work, indoor cricket and outdoor cricket whenever possible. Also when I was in Pakistan I played club cricket whenever the opportunity arose. In addition I played a little bit of club cricket in the Middle-East. Most of this was just friendly cricket but it was good to be out there on the field amongst friends.”
While things are looking up for Amir, as he is likely to return to the national team in the next few months, Pakistan cricketing fraternity is divided over the future of Butt and Asif.
Although the duo have served their sentences and there have to be second chances in life however, members of the current team are believed to not want them back and former captain Rashid Latif said last week “there should not be any space for criminals in international cricket”.
But Asif could still be a considerable force in the Test format, particularly in English conditions, if he can reach the level he was at before his ban.
The fact he relied on skill rather than pace to take his wickets will help him overcome five years of inactivity.
“My fitness is fine and I weigh exactly what I did five years ago before I was banned. Mentally I am ready for a return to cricket but I have to be realistic and take things one step at a time. I’ve now started training at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore which will be a great help. The door has been opened for me and it’s down to me to perform. Realistically, though, my target for a return to international cricket is the series in England next year and that is a target I have set myself.”
