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Did Shoaib try cocaine too?

October 17, 2006 18:28 IST

After the dope shame, it is being alleged that Shoaib Akhtar and fellow paceman Mohammad Asif had smoked cannabis during Pakistan's recent one-day international series in England.

According to leading Pakistan daily Dawn, both Shoaib and Asif were seen smoking the stuff after Pakistan's win in the third one-day match at Rose Bowl in Southampton, just days after the Oval Test controversy.

"Shoaib was seen allegedly smoking cannabis-filled cigarette on the lawn of the team hotel along with Pakistan bowling coach Waqar Younis," the daily quoted an eye witness as saying.

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"Asif, meanwhile, practised something similar in the privacy of his room... [where] he pulled out some of the tobacco from his cigarette to stuff it with the banned substance. He then lit up his cigarette."

The eye-witness, who had come to watch the matches from the United States and was at the hotel to meet players that day, said he saw England-based recruit agent Azhar Mota passing on two small boxes, used for storing 'naswar', to the players.

He also said Asif asked Azhar to fetch him a lucrative county deal.

"Azhar bhai, I am interested in a contract worth 100,000 pounds because only then I would be in a position to give you 10,000 [as commission]," Asif was quoted as saying by the witness.

The incident went unreported unlike a similar case during the 1992-93 tour of the West Indies where Wasim Akram, Waqar, Mushtaq Ahmed and Aquib Javed were detained and then released on bail for possessing marijuana.

 

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