Mohammed Asif, along with Shoaib Akhtar, was withdrawn from Pakistan’s squad a day before the Champions Trophy in India after they tested positive for nandrolone in an internal PCB test. The results, from a World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada)-accredited lab in Malaysia, came in the lead-up to Pakistan’s opening match against Sri Lanka. Both disgraced players were quickly sent home.

Both were suspended and the issue was dealt with by the PCB’s drugs tribunal, which banned Asif for one year and Shoaib for two years. But an appeals panel lifted their bans, saying the pacers did not take the drug “intentionally”. Significantly, both withdrew from the World Cup squad at the last minute, citing injuries. The Telegraph’s sources, however, indicated that the PCB feared the players might be dragged into a scandal yet again.