'Always Brought Drugs': Ex-MHA Official Drops BOMBSHELL Allegations Against Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif

Former MHA Under Secretary RVS Mani has made explosive allegations, claiming that Pakistani cricketers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif smuggled drugs into India. Mani asserts that the players confessed and were sent back, and also suggests a link between these activities and the mysterious death of coach Bob Woolmer.

Former Ministry of Home Affairs Under Secretary, RVS Mani, made explosive yet highly controversial allegations, claiming that former Pakistan pacers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif routinely smuggled drugs into India during their visits for the bilateral series in the country.

Back in 2006, Akhtar and Asif were found guilty of doping in a separate incident, which led to a suspension by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) just ahead of the 2006 Champions Trophy. The former pacers were found to have tested positive for the banned anabolic steroid nandrolone. Shoaib Akhtar was banned for two years, while Mohammad Asif was debarred from professional cricket for a year.

However, their ban was overturned by a review tribunal, which ruled that the players were unaware they were consuming a prohibited substance. Despite the ban being lifted, Akhtar and Asif were immensely scrutinized for their off-field conduct and disciplinary history throughout their careers.

‘They Are Carrying Drugs’

Former Ministry of Home Affairs official RVS Mani, who served as an Under Secretary in the Ministry from 2006 to 2010, claimed that the Pakistan High Commissioner sent back Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, who admitted to carrying drugs, adding that this admission occurred after security protocols were tightened.

“We have reported a case of Pakistani cricketers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammed Asif, who were sent back by the Pakistani High Commissioner after self-confessing that they were carrying drugs. That is what the ruse is. So that is the entire background. Whenever Pakistani teams and delegations came to India, they trafficked drugs here.” Mani told the ANI.

“It's an official policy of Pakistan to push drugs into India. They're well-known people. They're high-profile people. So were the other people in the Pakistan team whose names might not have been named, but the entire team consists of that, and they used to do it,” he added.

#WATCH | During podcast interview to ANI, Former Under Secretary, MHA, RVS Mani said, "There is a reported case of cricketers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, where they were sent back (from India) by the Pakistani High Commission after their confession that they were carrying… pic.twitter.com/SbdjiUhA8r

— ANI (@ANI) July 14, 2026

Before the BCCI indefinitely suspended the bilateral series between India and Pakistan, the players from Pakistan used to travel for the bilateral series and ICC and ACC tournaments, with these high-profile visits providing a frequent, if controversial, avenue for sporting engagement between the two nations.

These events were often marked by intense security scrutiny, with officials now pointing to that era as a period when sporting diplomacy was allegedly undermined by these persistent security and criminal concerns.

Explosive Allegations: The Woolmer Connection

During the 2007 ODI World Cup, Pakistan Cricket was plunged into profound shock following the unexpected death of their head coach, Bob Woolmer. The former England cricketer and coach was found unconscious in his hotel in Kingston, Jamaica, just hours after Pakistan’s surprise elimination from the tournament following a defeat to Ireland.

Though Woolmer’s passing was initially treated as homicide by the authorities, the death continues to remain a mystery, given the circumstances regarding the investigation and lack of definitive closure. However, RVS Mani revealed that Bob Woolmer’s resistance against drug-related activities within the Pakistan team raised suspicion about his sudden demise.

“Their English coach, Bob Woolmer, who resisted this drug trafficking by the Pakistani players, was killed under suspicious circumstances,” Mani said.

“All the dots have to be joined. And Pakistani delegations do use to bring drugs. And as per the DIA estimate of that time, 30% of the Indian terror attacks' funding was coming from drugs only,” he added.

On this day in 2007: One of the saddest days in cricket - the passing of Bob Woolmer.

Woolmer scored 15,772 runs and took 420 wickets in FC cricket.

He was also a terrific coach. He coached South Africa from 1994-1999, overseeing their win in the 1998 ICC Knockout Trophy, and… pic.twitter.com/yqvIhWHNL3

— CricBlog ✍ (@cric_blog) March 18, 2026

Meanwhile, the cricketing relationship between India and Pakistan further deteriorated after a horrendous militant attack on civilians and security personnel in Mumbai in November 2008. The April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack further strained the already fragile atmosphere surrounding any possibility of reviving bilateral cricket ties.