LAHORE - Embattled and fuming Pakistan speedster Mohammad Asif has been offered to play in the unsanctioned Indian Cricket League and the chances are that he would join the rebels.

The pacer could snap his ties with the IPL because of the rigours of going through a tribunal for his appeal against a doping ban.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has withdrawn legal support sought by Asif to fight his case as he is to appear before the tribunal on November 29. The distraught fast bowler is now considering a move to the ICL.

"When no one is coming to my support I have no other option left to join the ICL for which other Pakistani players are also playing. My career has come to a halt and no one is bothering," Asif was quoted as saying by a newspaper.

It's also learnt that the Lahore Badshahs, who won the recently concluded edition of the ICL, are planning to sign more Pakistani players.
However, newly appointed Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam had recently expressed his desire to have Asif back in the national side as he was a proven match winner.
Just yesterday, Asif reacted angrily to the public disclosure by a former top PCB official that he was carrying opium when detained at the Dubai airport in June.
The disclosure was made on Tuesday by Shafqat Naghmi, former chief operating officer PCB who headed a three-member inquiry committee that probed whether Asif had violated the PCB's anti-doping regulations.
Naghmi disclosed that Asif was carrying a small quantity of opium when detained at Dubai airport and that the committee had recommended a few matches ban and fine on him but could not submit its report to the new board set-up as yet.
Asif when contacted said he was surprised that Naghmi had decided to make details of the inquiry public now.

"I don't think this committee has the authority to say such things now. It is the present set-up (headed by Ijaz Butt) which is responsible for everything now," he said.
Asif said he had told the committee that he had been taking some herbal medicine for his elbow problem when he was detained at the Dubai airport while returning from India.
"I think this is nothing but a publicity stunt to get attention since these officials are no longer in the cricket board. I will talk to the board chairman about this," he said.
But Nadeem Akram, another member of the committee, said the recommendations they made was for imposition of eight to 10 matches ban on Asif for possessing small quantity of opium.
"It was a very small quantity and he said he was taking some medicines for pain but our inquiry showed he had violated the board's strict anti-doping regulations," Nadeem said.

Source: http://www.nation.com.pk/...08/Asif-in-talks-with-ICL