'Duniya hila ke rakh di thi': Mohammad Asif reflects on his career
May 04, 2020
Lahore [Pakistan], May 4 : Reflecting on his career, former Pakistan player Mohammad Asif believes that he shook up the entire world in the limited cricketing career he had.
In 2010, Asif's cricketing career came to a premature end as he was found guilty in a spot-fixing scandal.
He was found guilty of deliberately bowling no-balls during Pakistan's tour of England.
As a result, in 2011, the pacer was banned from the sport of cricket for seven years.
"My ambition was to finish my career on a better note and I do have regrets. But that's a different story. I think whatever happened it had to happen and that's okay. Everyone has regrets in their life and a few want to talk about them, but I think I am fine. Everyone makes mistakes and I did too," ESPNCricinfo quoted Asif as saying.
"I'm not sitting around brooding about the past or hung up on it. What happened is history. 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," he added.
The 37-year-old pacer also criticised the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for not giving him a second chance despite him being highly regarded by batsmen throughout the world.
Along with Asif, Mohammad Amir and Salman Butt were also involved in the spot-fixing scandal. However, in 2016, Amir made a comeback for Pakistan during the tour of New Zealand.
In August 2018, he was also awarded the central contract by the PCB.
Talking about PCB's behaviour with him, Asif said: "Players had been indulging in fixing before me in 2010 and even after me. But those before me are working with PCB and there are few after me still playing. 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 played 23 Tests, 38 ODIs and 11 T20Is for Pakistan and the pacer managed to take 165 wickets across all formats.
Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen had also remarked that Asif was the toughest bowler he faced in his career.
