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Mohammad Asif

Pakistan

Full name Mohammad Asif

Born December 20, 1982, Sheikhupura, Punjab

Current age 26 years 325 days

Major teams Pakistan, Asia XI, Delhi Daredevils, Khan Research Labs, Lahore Division, Leicestershire, National Bank of Pakistan, Sheikhupura Cricket Association, Sialkot Cricket Association

Playing role Bowler

Batting style Left-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm fast-medium

Batting and fielding averages

	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	4s	6s	Ct
Tests	11	16	6	60	12*	6.00	223	26.90	6	0	2
ODIs	32	11	5	33	6	5.50	77	42.85	2	0	4
T20Is	9	1	1	4	4*	-	1	400.00	1	0	3
First-class	75	98	37	517	42	8.47					29
List A	64	28	16	181	40	15.08					16
Twenty20	30	6	2	20	12	5.00	31	64.51	1	1	10

Bowling averages

	Mat	Inns	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBI	BBM	Ave	Econ	SR	4w	5w	10
Tests	11	21	2334	1180	51	6/44	11/71	23.13	3.03	45.7	3	4	1
ODIs	32	30	1587	1232	38	3/28	3/28	32.42	4.65	41.7	0	0	0
T20Is	9	9	209	269	12	4/18	4/18	22.41	7.72	17.4	1	0	0
First-class	75		13637	7445	305	7/35		24.40	3.27	44.7		19	5
List A	64		2982	2380	71	4/30	4/30	33.52	4.78	42.0	1	0	0
Twenty20	30	29	688	867	42	5/11	5/11	20.64	7.56	16.3	3	1	0

Career statistics

Test debut	Australia v Pakistan at Sydney, Jan 2-5, 2005 scorecard
Last Test	Pakistan v South Africa at Lahore, Oct 8-12, 2007 scorecard
Test statistics
ODI debut	Pakistan v England at Rawalpindi, Dec 21, 2005 scorecard
Last ODI	Australia v Pakistan at Centurion, Sep 30, 2009 scorecard
ODI statistics
T20I debut	England v Pakistan at Bristol, Aug 28, 2006 scorecard
Last T20I	India v Pakistan at Johannesburg, Sep 24, 2007 scorecard
T20I statistics
First-class debut	2000/01
Last First-class	National Bank of Pakistan v Sui Southern Gas Corporation at Faisalabad, Nov 3-6, 2009 scorecard
List A debut	1999/00
Last List A	Australia v Pakistan at Centurion, Sep 30, 2009 scorecard
Twenty20 debut	Quetta Bears v Rawalpindi Rams at Lahore, Apr 25, 2005 scorecard
Last Twenty20	Delhi Daredevils v Rajasthan Royals at Mumbai, May 30, 2008 scorecard

Profile

When he made his debut against Australia at Sydney in January 2005, little suggested that Pakistan's long tradition of happening upon blitzing fast bowlers would continue. Bob Woolmer, then the Pakistan coach, kept faith, calling Asif the most improved player in the country in late 2005. By taking ten wickets in a warm-up game against England, he proved Woolmer right. He made an impressive ODI debut one day after his 23rd birthday, dismissing Marcus Trescothick with his third ball and ending with 2 for 14 off seven incisive overs. Tall, lean and possessed of a little more muscle than on his debut, Asif initially generated pace a medium-pacer would aspire to and a tearaway would loosen up with, around mid to late 80mph. He has mind-numbing control over his bowling, a terrifically sharp bowling brain, stamina as well as the useful ability to seam the ball both ways on most pitches. His action has modified slightly since his debut, but is repetitive and claimed him seven plumb wickets at Karachi, as Pakistan sealed a famous home series win against India in early 2006. After that he blossomed magnificently. He was almost single-handedly responsible for Pakistan's Test series win in Sri Lanka, taking 17 wickets in two Tests. England seemed tailor-made for his particular gifts in the summer of 2006, but an elbow injury before the first Test ruled him out until the final Test, by which time Pakistan had lost the series. Problems began from here, not least the injury which has hampered him on and off since then. A promising career was then apparently cut short when he tested positive for a banned steroid, but the ban was eventually overturned, allowing him to continue. He returned to the international scene after being appointed vice captain for Pakistan's tour to Abu Dhabi after the 2007 World Cup and was back to his annoyingly best right from the start, though his pace has since been down. But just as he was recovering from the troublesome elbow, in June 2008, he was detained at Dubai airport, allegedly for possessing a recreational drug. He was eventually released after 19 days, though a second doping taint on one of the world's most promising young fast bowlers may be too much to clear away. The doping issue continued to haunt him when he tested positive for nandrolone during the IPL, for which a drugs tribunal banned him for a year. The PCB banned him from all forms of the game pending the inquiry.
Osman Samiuddin February 2009

Timeline

January 2, 2005
Dead rubber, deader debut

Makes his Test debut in the dead rubber against Australia in Sydney. Finishes the match with figures of 0 for 72 and 0 for 16 as Pakistan lose be nine wickets. Is dropped until December.

November 6-8, 2005
'A' rated

Bowls Pakistan A to victory against England with 7 for 62 and 3 for 44 in a tour match, but misses out on a Test spot. Is included in the squad for the third Test, but is left out of the XI.

November 30, 2005
Signs for Leicestershire for 2006 season

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Best Performances

4 for 78 and 3 for 48 v India, Karachi, 2005-06

Pakistan have recovered from Irfan Pathan's devastating hat-trick in the first over of the Karachi Test. Going by the trends in the series so far, the 245 they manage seems a small total, but India are now facing Asif on a juicy pitch. In the fourth over, Asif picks up the prized scalp of Rahul Dravid, and soon bowls the makeshift opener VVS Laxman as well. Yuvraj Singh makes a solid start, but Asif traps him lbw for 45. His 4 for 78 plays a huge role in restricting India to 238. In the final innings India are chasing an impossible 607, but the likelihood of them battling out a draw is bleak when Asif bowls Virender Sehwag, Dravid and Tendulkar to set up a massive victory. Asif later says he likes bowling to batsmen like Dravid.

6 for 44 and 5 for 26 v Sri Lanka, Kandy, 2005-06

Sri Lanka are formidable opponents at home, and the first Test of the two-match series has been drawn. Asif gives Pakistan a superb start in the second Test in Kandy by dismissing Upul Tharanga, Sanath Jayasuriya and Mahela Jayawardene cheaply. He slices through the tail, and finishes with 6 for 44, his first five-for in Tests. Pakistan, however, bat poorly in reply to Sri Lanka's 279, and concede a lead of 109. Asif is pure dynamite in the second innings, blowing away five of Sri Lanka's top six batsmen and reducing them to 65 for 6, setting up a rare home defeat for Sri Lanka.

2 for 34 and 5 for 76 v South Africa, Port Elizabeth, 2006-07

It is Asif's second Test since his comeback from the drugs scandal. In the match before this, he has taken a five-for in Centurion, but Pakistan go on to lose. In this, the Port Elizabeth Test, Pakistan have gained a significant 141-run lead in the first innings, and Asif consolidates the advantage by dismissing Graeme smith and AB de Villiers early. The South African middle order offer resistance but Asif keeps chipping away, trapping Jacques Kallis lbw for 91 and taking the crucial wickets of Herschelle Gibbs and Mark Boucher in their forties. Asif finishes with 5 for 76 and South Africa are dismissed for 331, setting Pakistan a target of 191 that they achieve with five wickets in hand.

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Cricinfo picks - Our top articles on this player

The young fox (Aug 10, 2007)
'The line's the thing' (Jul 18, 2007)