Dubai, Jun 3: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has defended right-arm seamer Mohammed Asif who was arrested at the Dubai international airport yesterday for allegedly carrying drugs.

''He has not been arrested, he has been detained at Dubai airport. He was carrying this substance in very small quantity in his wallet for the last four or five months and even forgot about it. He is also not sure what it is and it was prescribed to him for treatment of his elbow injury,'' PCB human resources manager Nadeem Akram told mediapersons here today.

''It is a medicine given to him by a 'Hakeem' in Dubai. It had been given to him around 5-6 months ago and he had forgotten about it,'' he added.

Akram has been sent here by the PCB to coordinate with Pakistan embassy officials and resolve the issue.

Meanwhile, the authorities here have conducted a blood test on the pacer but the results have not been divulged yet.

''We have sent his blood and urine samples for test and so far we have not got the results,'' Akram said.

PCB sources said the Pakistan embassy in the United Arab Emirates and the foreign office were pursuing the case and awaiting a verdict from a local court later today.

UNI