6:03 PM

Pakistan’s Mohammad Asif has blamed his positive drugs test in the IPL on eye drops prescribed for an inflammatory condition.


Asif was found to have used the banned substance nandrolone during the inaugural edition of the IPL in May last year.

He was summoned before a drugs panel comprising former India Test captain Sunil Gavaskar, Dr Ravi Bapat and lawyer Shirish Gupte where he revealed the eye drops had raised the levels of nandrolone in his system.

The hearing was adjourned today, however, and a decision will not be made until tomorrow's reserve day at the earliest.

Asif brought along his lawyer Shahid Karim and London-based medical expert Michael Graham to fight his case.

Prohibited Substance

"Asif has pleaded to using Keratyl eye drops for a medical eye condition," Graham told Times Now.

"He had an inflammatory eye condition which was impeding his cricket. He could not see very well with his left eye and as a consequence of that he required specialised ophthalmic opinion in Pakistan and he had that treatment, and, as was known to Asif, it (Keratyl) contained a prohibited substance nandrolone. Sadly this showed up in his urine," Michael Graham added.

The 26-year-old was banned from all forms of cricket by the Pakistan Cricket Board immediately after the adverse test was made public in July.

B sample test

Asif had requested for his 'B' sample to be tested which also returned a positive result for the drug.

He then appeared before the tribunal on October 11, but the adjudicating members adjourned that meeting without deciding on a verdict and scheduled a second meeting for November 29.

That meeting was postponed to today due to the Mumbai terror attacks.

Today's adjournment will further prolong a case that has now lasted five months without resolution.

"No decision has been taken and the tribunal will meet again to decide," Gupte said after today's hearing.

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