Mohammad Asif has been confirmed as the player who tested positive for a banned substance during the Indian Premier League, the IPL has announced.

The IPL compared the result from the WADA-approved laboratory in Switzerland with the data collected by IDTM, the Sweden-based independent agency which organised the tests. The IPL said: "It was also checked if Asif had applied for and was granted a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE). It was found that Asif had not applied for a TUE. A note in writing has been sent to the player and his home board and to the franchise [Delhi Daredevils] on the findings."

Asif will now have the right to request that his 'B' sample [supplied at the same time as the one that tested positive] be sent for analysis, which he and his representative can attend along with an IPL representative. Asif was detained in Dubai for possession of contraband drugs last month for 19 days and he is already the subject of a board inquiry into those events.

In a related development, it is also learnt that the announcement of Pakistan's 30-man list of probables for the Champions Trophy - due to be revealed today - has also been delayed by another day. The release of the names has already been delayed from last week, after disagreements between selectors and a board committee over some names in the list and confusion over Shoaib Akhtar's eligibility.

Cricinfo has learnt that the announcement of the squad was delayed till the identity of the player who tested positive was made public, in order to "avoid further controversy," according to an official.
If Asif's 'B' sample is also tests positive, the matter will be taken up by the IPL's drugs tribunal, comprising of Sunil Gavaskar, Dr Ravi Bapat (ex-Vice Chancellor of Maharashtra University of Health Sciences) and lawyer Shirish Gupte. The tribunal will study the issue and take a decision in accordance with the code.

Undoubtedly, the PCB will also want to take some action after this and senior board officials have already indicated that stern consequences can be expected. Asif, along with Shoaib Akhtar, had tested positive for banned steroid nandrolone in PCB's internal tests ahead of the Champions Trophy. He was banned for one year, which was overturned on appeal. Asif also cleared a dope test in August 2007 ahead of the World Twenty20 in South Africa.

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