Pakistan's disgraced pace bowler Muhammad Asif is confident he can catch the attention of the national selectors once he gets into his rhythm in domestic cricket.
Karachi: Pakistan's disgraced pace bowler Muhammad Asif is confident he can catch the attention of the national selectors once he gets into his rhythm in domestic cricket.
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"I don¿t know what is going to happen in next few days, weeks or months it is too early to talk about playing for Pakistan. But yes one thing I know, once I play domestic cricket and get my rhythm back I will let the ball do the talking for me," Asif said on Geo Super channel.
Asif along with Salman Butt and Muhammad Aamir were banned for spot-fixing in early 2011 but on Wednesday the International Cricket Council said they could play domestic and international cricket once their five year bans expired at midnight on September 1.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has sought more clarification from the ICC and for the time being indicated Asif and Butt might not be allowed to play for the Lahore Blues in the National T20 Championship from September 1 in Rawalpindi.
The PCB apparently wants clarification from the ICC on the followingclauses of the ICC¿s anti-corruption code which say: Once any period of ineligibility has expired, the participant will automatically become re-eligible to participate or be otherwise involved in matches provided that he/she has first (a) completed an official anti-corruption education session to the reasonable satisfaction of the ACSU, (b) Agreed to subject him/herself to such additional reasonable and proportionate monitoring procedures and requirements as the ACSU General Manager may reasonably consider necessary given the nature and scope of the office committed; and (c) satisfied in full any fine and/or award of costs made against him/her by any anti-corruption tribunal or the Council for Arbitration Sports.
Asif however insisted that he had met all the ACSU requirements and conditions.
"Or else why would the ICC issue the statement about me.
I have accepted responsibility for my actions and have apologised several times for that. I am rehabilitating myself now and want to make a fresh impression whenever I get the chance to play," Asif said.
The tall and lanky pacer also said he didn¿t feel bad about some former players or people speaking against him or using harsh language.
"I accept that but at same time I only say how can you judge someone without giving him a second chance. I know I have changed and I just want to play cricket again,¿ he added.
Asif who turns 33 in December was Pakistan¿s premier new ball bowler before the spot fixing scandal, taking 106 Test wickets in 23 games with six four wickets in an innings and seven five wickets in an innings feat.
The spot fixing scandal was not the first blight on his controversial career as he has twice failed dope tests and been banned, had a physical fight with a teammate and was caught at the Dubai Airport with a banned substance.
Even his personal life was a mess with his torrid affair with actor and model Veena Malik grabbing the headlines when she accused of being a cheat and defrauding her out of millions of rupees.
¿Look everyone makes mistakes and I have made plenty of them but that does not mean it will happen again or I can¿t change myself. But once we have served our punishment why talk about not playing us it would be like a second punishment for us for the same crime," he said.
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