Highlights:
- Mohammad Asif talks about the second chance he never got
- He says there have been many players before him commiting he crime and saw many after him as well.
Former Pakistani fast bowler, Mohammad Asif said that he was not the first cricketer nor the last to have indulged in spot-fixing and said that he should have been treated better by Pakistani Cricket Board (PCB) which gave “second chance” to everyone except for him.
Tha Pakistani tainted bowler was banned for 7 year for his role in the 2010 spot-fixing scandal during the Pakistan’s tour of England where he bowled deliberate no-balls for money.
For that, he also served jail time in the United Kingdom after he was found guilty of the charges along with Mohammad Amir and Slaman butt.
Asif said that unlike many other players, he did not get a second chance. He did not name the other players.
Asif, while talking to ESPNCricinfo said, “Everyone makes mistakes and I did too. Players had been indulging in fixing before me and even after me. But those before me are working with PCB and there are few after me still playing,”.
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“Everyone was given a second chance and there are few who never got the same treatment (as me). PCB never tried to save me regardless of the fact that I am the kind of bowler who was highly regarded by everyone in the world.”
“But anyway I’m not sitting around brooding about the past or hung up on it.”
Asif takes pride in the performances he gave in the limited career he had, saying, “However much I played in my career, I made it count, Duniya hila ke rakh di thi (I shook up the world). That is more important for me to think about. Even today, so many years later, the best batsmen in the world still remember me and they talk about me.”
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“Just think how big the impact was that I had on the world. So this is what makes me proud – that there is a reason KP, AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla talk highly about me. That is what makes me happy.”
The 37 year old Pakistani bowler even failed a dope test back in 2006 for which he served a suspension of 1 year and admitted that he “should have behaved better off the field”.
“That is where I had issues. I want to give the kids this message that when you cross the boundary line into the field, your ambition should be to do well for yourself and for your team.”
“I was selfish as a bowler because I wanted to take wickets, and that was to help the team win. Being selfish isn’t bad if you’re playing your part for the team,”
Remembering the days when he made the ball do the talking and created a lasting impression on players such as Mudassaer Nazar and Wasim Akram, he said, “I proved myself not just once but repeatedly. I got the same batsmen out more than once, and it’s not like I bowled one fluke great delivery and never did it again.”
“With the ball in hand, I was in control. Moving the ball in and out wasn’t just a one-off thing. And I didn’t learn to do it in days. It took me years and I worked really hard for it.”
Asif says that he still thinks about the fact that Mohammed Amir retired frim Test format when he was just 27, he adds the Amir let PCB down with this decision since the Board helped him significantly in his difficult time.
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He said, “I curse the PCB for how they rescued his career. But it was his obligation to help Pakistan cricket in a tough situation and he should have stayed, especially when they had helped him return.” “If they (the PCB) had done the same with me, then I’d still be available to rescue Pakistan in Test cricket for the next two years. I know there are fitness standards, but I can work that out and whatever is required I can do it.”
