One of the five cricketers tested for banned substances by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) during the Indian Premier League (IPL) has been found positive.

While there was no official word on the identity of the player, it is learnt that Delhi Daredevils’s Pakistan import Mohammad Asif is the man in the dope net once again.

Asif, who had undergone a one-year ban after testing positive for nandrolone during the 2006 Champions Trophy, was detained in Dubai on his way home after his IPL assignment in India for allegedly possessing a recreational drug. He was released after 20 days in detention. During the tournament, Asif had been suffering from an elbow injury and that saw him miss seven of the 14 games that his team played.

Meanwhile, IPL commissioner Lalit Modi tried to downplay the dope story. Modi confirmed that a player had tested positive but he also added that there was still ambiguity if an IPL cricketer was a dope cheat.

“Two days ago the IPL received a letter from WADA informing us about the positive test. This is the first stage with several more stages to go. The issue is now with the IPL’s medical committee. The identity of the player will matter only after we check on the pre-declared drugs,” he told the media.

Random test

The WADA officials had landed in India from Sweden on May 18 — the fifth week of the IPL — to do a random test on the cricketers involved in the event. A day before the WADA testing, Asif sat out of the outing against Kings XI Punjab and wasn't part of the team in subsequent three games. The reason given for Asif's absence was “elbow injury” and the player was found wearing a strap around his elbow as his teammates continued to practice.

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