Asif slapped with huge bill as legal cost for his release

Lahore, Nov 20 (UNI) It seems as if there is no end to Mohammad Asif's miseries as the dope-tainted pacer was slapped with a whopping bill as legal costs for his release from detention in Dubai earlier this year.

Asif was detained for 19-day in Dubai for possession of a banned substance and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had hired the legal firm, Afridi and Angel, to represent the pacer in the case contested with the Dubai police.

''The issue now is that the previous PCB management have forwarded a bill sent by the Dubai based 'Afridi and Angel' firm to Asif for payment,'' a source close to the PCB said.

''Asif has taken up the issue with the present management pointing out that no one ever consulted him or took his consent while hiring the services of the firm that time, so why should he pay for the legal costs,'' the source added.

The source further added that the bill was in thousands of dirhams and Asif has told PCB that the representative of the Board, sent to assist him in Dubai in June, had bothered to visit him just once at the detention centre during his nearly two-week stay in Dubai.

An application has already been submitted by Asif to the present PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt for the release of the money, which is due to him as per his central contract with the Board even though he was at present suspended.

''The PCB Chairman will review Asif's request for release of funds this week as the pacer also wants the Board to review the ban imposed on him after he tested positive in a dope test carried out during the Indian Premier League,'' disclosed the source.

''Asif wanted to know why the ban was imposed on him as he was neither representing Pakistan in the IPL, and the tests were conducted in a foreign country and under foreign laws, which had nothing to do with Pakistan cricket,'' he added.

UNI XC PY RAR HS1510