Asif to step out of prison today Will stay in UK to pursue his appeals

LONDON: Pakistan’s disgraced fast bowler Mohammad Asif will walk free on Thursday (today) from Britain’s Canterbury Prison after completing his one-year sentence for alleged spot-fixing during the 2010 Lord’s Test match against England, Geo News reported.
Savita Sukul of SJS Solicitors, the lawyer in charge of his immigration matters and his appeal against the International Cricket Council (ICC) ban, said they had succeeded in convincing the Home Office through representations on Tuesday afternoon that Asif should not be deported to Pakistan.
Asif has been allowed by the Home Office to remain in the UK to pursue his appeal against the spot-fixing convictions as a result of his lawful rights to reside in the UK until his appeal is completed against his conviction as those convictions are not final until they have been sanctioned by the highest court in the land, his lawyer said.
Asif’s Barrister Ravi Sukul, who is dealing with the conviction appeal, told ‘Geo News’: “In a matter of hours, Asif will be released and I am proud to say that.... He will assist us with his fight to restore what was once a brilliant reputation that he had.”
Asif will stay with his friend Muhammad Haroon, a cricket coach who is based in Peterborough.
“There is nothing in his record that could indicate that that he will not abide by the court’s directions. These representations persuaded the Home Office to make a decision that Asif will be a free man once he leaves the doors of the Canterbury prison,” said Ravi.
About the next phase of the battle to help his client clear his name, Ravi said that he would now perfect the grounds of appeal against the conviction under the English law. “I need to convince three Judges sitting in the Court of Appeal that Asif’s convictions are unsafe. I can continue my efforts to do that now in a meaningful way as I will have Asif next to me, assisting me with several technical aspects of the appeal. Hopefully the judges sitting in that court may allow the appeal and quash his convictions.”
Ravi said that certain procedures might not have been applied during the trial to Asif’s benefit which could have persuaded the jury to come to a different conclusion. “It is the absence of those matters that has made me come to the conclusion that this trial may have been a travesty of justice. The Court of Appeal may hear evidence which was not put before the jury.”
Ravi said Asif is among those bowlers who bowl no-balls more regularly than others. “This is a mathematical fact. He was expected to bowl two no balls at Lord’s on mathematics principles, which is exactly what he did.”
He said Amir’s guilty plea could have affected the decision on Asif. “The legal significance of that plea is that Amir admitted he had conspired with other people. It may be that the jury linked Amir with Asif during their deliberations.”
About Asif’s emotion on hearing about his release, he said he was thankful. “He has been in prison since November and was expected to be put in the Home office custody and the news that he will be a free man to walk the streets and be with his friends is indeed a pleasant news for him, his family and his supporters to whom he expressed his thanks.”