Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Asif returned home Friday and apologized “to the whole nation” after Dubai authorities dropped a drug investigation against him, ending almost three weeks of detention. Asif was detained June 1 after authorities allegedly found opium in his wallet as he traveled through Dubai's international airport on his way home from playing in the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament. Asif arrived in Pakistan on a flight from Dubai early Friday and immediately proclaimed his innocence. “No banned substance was recovered from me, and all of my tests were clear,” he told reporters at Lahore International Airport. He said he was also cleared in two earlier medical tests before playing in India. “If those tests had not been cleared, ICC would have banned me earlier,” he said, referring to world cricket's governing body, the International Cricket Council. But later Friday, when Asif met with Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Nasim Ashraf, he was less defiant. “I feel shame and apologize to the whole nation over what happened,” he told reporters. He said he had never used any illegal substance, and would not do so in the future. Ashraf announced Friday that a three-member committee, chaired by the PCB's chief operating officer Shafqat Naghmi, would probe Asif's case from Monday. Earlier, the PCB said in a statement that it welcomed Asif's release and was “relieved that this ordeal is over.” “We appreciate the professional manner in which this whole issue was dealt with by the Dubai police, prosecution department and the UAE authorities,” it said. Asif was accused of carrying 0.01 ounces (0.25 grams) of opium. The fast bowler tested negative for drugs and was not charged, but was questioned by Dubai authorities for drug possession and smuggling while he remained in custody at the airport's detention center. While detained in Dubai, Asif – a promising fast bowler with 51 wickets in 11 Test matches – was omitted from the national squad for the upcoming Asia Cup limited-overs tournament, which starts in Pakistan on June 24. Ashraf said Friday it was “highly unlikely” that Asif would be added to the squad now he had been released. In 2006, Asif and fellow paceman Shoaib Akhtar tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone. The PCB initially banned the players for one and two years respectively, but the suspensions were overturned on appeal. – AP __
