Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen on Monday rated Mohammad Asif as the best bowler he has faced in his career and believed many of the world’s top batsmen were happy when the Pakistan pacer was banned for spot-fixing.
Asif, along with teammates Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir, was handed a lengthy suspension by the International Cricket Council for his involvement in the 2010 spot-fixing scandal in England.
“I think there’s plenty batters around the world that were happy he [Asif] got banned! He was the best I faced! I had no idea against him!” Pietersen tweeted, in reply to a clip from a Test match in 2006 where he got dismissed by Asif.
During the game, Asif dismissed Pietersen for a golden duck with a delivery that swung late before inducing an edge into the hands of wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal.
In 23 Tests, the speedster picked up 106 wickets and regularly troubled the best of batsmen with his prodigious swing and pace.
While Amir made a comeback to international cricket, Asif’s career came to an end with the ban. Butt, however, plays domestic cricket.
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