Asif says his appeal to CAS set for February 2013

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Court of Arbitration for Sport will hear Mohammad Asif's appeal against a seven-year ban for spot-fixing in February 2013, the suspended test fast bowler said Monday.

Asif, who served half of his one-year sentence for involvement in a spot-fixing scandal, was released from prison in London in May.

"The way ICC has prejudiced my case, there are lots of things which are not yet clear and nobody knows it," Asif said in the eastern city of Lahore.

The Southwark Crown Court in London also imprisoned former captain Salman Butt and teenage fast bowler Mohammad Amir for their roles in bowling no-balls in a test match in 2010. Both Butt and Amir were also released and returned home.

The International Cricket Council suspended the trio for a minimum of five years for violating the code of conduct.

Asif is almost 17 months into a seven-year suspension form all forms of cricket that was imposed by an independent tribunal in February. Two years of the ban are suspended.

Asif has a history of off-field controversies, twice being suspended for failing drug tests. He and teammate Shoaib Akhtar were first pulled out from the Champions Trophy in 2006 for failing drug test. Later, both players were banned for one year each before it was overturned on appeal.

He was again banned for one year in 2008 for failing another drug test in the Indian Premier League and was also detained at Dubai airport for having possession of a banned drug.

This time, the fast bowler was hopeful that he would get cleared.

"Hopefully I will get justice there because it's just ICC and me," he said. "It's not necessary that if someone has served imprisonment, he is a criminal. Sometimes even innocent people also get punished."

Asif said that the case against him in the London court was of one no-ball and the court was under pressure because the ICC announced punishment against the Pakistan trio before it.

"ICC put pressure in the hearing so that we could not get out of it," he said. "There are lots of things which I will also publish in my own book."

Asif, who played 23 tests matches for 106 wickets and took 46 wickets in 38 one-day internationals, said he never thought of bringing bad name to his country and still felt that he could return to the national team.

"I will make a comeback and I never think to let down my nation," Asif said.