{ "id": "11873", "author": "13", "cnmid": "0", "title": "Pakistan pacer Mohammad Asif targeting return during England tour", "lang": "en", "series": "20", "cup_year": "2015", "article_type": "General", "excerpt": "", "subtype": "", "editor1": "

Lahore, September 5-<\/strong>  Free to represent his country in international cricket post his five-year ban for fixing in 2010, Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Asif said he is targeting a return to the national side in his country's tour of England next year.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

The bowler was considered his country's premier pacer but deliberately no-balled and was involved in fixing against England in a Test match at Lord's in 2010.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Asif was later found guilty of working with his then captain Salman Butt and young bowler Mohammad Amir to fix certain parts of the match.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

"The door has been opened for me and it's down to me to perform. Realistically, though, my target for a return to international cricket is the series in England next year and that is a target I have set myself," Asif was quoted as saying by telegraph.co.uk on Friday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

The 32-year-old bowler said he is totally fit presently and has started training at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

"My fitness is fine and I weigh exactly what I did five years ago before I was banned. Mentally I am ready for a return to cricket but I have to be realistic and take things one step at a time. I've now started training at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore which will be a great help," he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Over the past five years Asif vanished from Pakistani public life, opting to stay in Norway and play among the expat community their so as not to violate his five-year ban imposed by the International Cricket Council (ICC).<\/p>\r\n\r\n

"During the last two years I've spent a lot of time in Norway with friends, playing a lot of cricket there. I have some good friends out in Norway and they invited me there to play some club cricket and to train with them," he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

The bowler said he and then captain Butt shared the same cell in prison at the start.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

"Salman shared a cell with me for the first couple of months of our sentence before we moved cells and yes that was a help. It was a daunting time and I had no idea what to expect, so yes having a familiar face with me was probably a help. We supported each other in prison especially during the time we shared a cell," he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Asif has promised to act as a counsellor for young cricketers warning the next generation not to repeat his errors.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

"That was a huge mistake and yes it's a huge regret. It's a mistake that I want to warn the next generation of cricketers about and to ensure they learn from me and to make sure they don't make the same mistakes that I made," he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

"I will speak with those young players face to face if the ICC and Pakistan Cricket Board want me to and lecture them about what I have faced in these last five years and warn them of the consequences," Asif concluded.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

(IANS)<\/p>\r\n", "image": "https:\/\/img.cricketnmore.com\/uploads\/2015\/09\/mohammad-asif.jpg", "alt_img": "Pakistan pacer Mohammad Asif targeting return duri", "alt_title": "Pakistan pacer Mohammad Asif targeting return duri", "image1": "", "video": "", "seo_title": "Pakistan pacer Mohammad Asif targeting return during England tour", "seo_desc": " Free to represent his country in international cricket post his five-year ban for fixing in 2010, Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Asif ", "seo_keywords": "Mohammad Asif, Pakistan Cricket Team, Pakistan Cricket Board", "tag": "", "tagging": "", "status": "1", "img_rpt": "0", "google": "0", "standout": "0", "edapps": "0", "pulse": "0", "no_index": "0", "feed": "0", "fixture": "0", "slug": "pakistan-pacer-mohammad-asif-targeting-return-during-england-tour", "user_id": "0", "read_count": "0", "ians_date": "0000-00-00", "ians_time": "00:00:00", "server_time": "0000-00-00 00:00:00", "trash": "0", "view_count": "3309", "page_break": "0", "instant_articles": "0", "auto_link": "0", "created": "2015-09-05 19:23:00", "updated": "2015-09-05 19:23:00", "img_from": "", "img_source": "", "schedule_publish": "0000-00-00 00:00:00", "news_keywords": null, "livescore_text": null, "livescore_link": null, "btn_text": null, "resend_feed": "0", "google_feed": "0", "read_more": "0", "posted_by": "1", "jio_date": "2015-09-05 19:23:00", "scheduled": "0", "news_now": "1", "breaking_news": "0", "google_date": "2015-09-05 19:23:00", "featured": "0", "pred_match_id": null, "article_content_type": null, "link": "https:\/\/www.cricketnmore.com\/cricket-news\/pakistan-pacer-mohammad-asif-targeting-return-during-england-tour-11873" }