Allegations of Drug Trafficking by Pakistani Cricket Teams Surface

R V S Mani, a former Under Secretary of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, has raised alarming allegations regarding drug trafficking by Pakistani cricket teams visiting India. He specifically mentioned former cricketers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, who faced bans for doping in 2006. Mani claims that this issue is part of a broader pattern of drug smuggling linked to terror funding, even connecting it to the suspicious death of former coach Bob Woolmer. His statements suggest a significant connection between sports and illicit activities, raising questions about the integrity of international cricket. Read on for more details.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jul 14, 2026, 18:31 IST

Former Official's Claims on Drug Trafficking

R V S Mani, a former Under Secretary at the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, has made serious allegations regarding drug trafficking involving Pakistani cricket teams and their delegations visiting India. He specifically mentioned former cricketers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, both of whom faced bans from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in 2006 after testing positive for the prohibited substance nandrolone.

The 2006 Doping Scandal

In 2006, Akhtar received a two-year ban, while Asif was banned for one year after a PCB tribunal found them guilty of using nandrolone, an anabolic steroid, following positive drug tests. Both athletes were removed from the Pakistan squad prior to their opening match against Sri Lanka during the Champions Trophy in India.

Mani's Accusations on Drug Trafficking

"We have documented a case involving Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, who were sent back by the Pakistani High Commissioner after admitting to carrying drugs. This has been a consistent issue. Whenever Pakistani teams visit India, they have trafficked drugs here," Mani stated, who served in the MHA from 2006 to 2010.

"It is an official policy of Pakistan to smuggle drugs into India. These are prominent individuals, and while not all names may be disclosed, the entire team has been involved in this activity," he added.

Connections to Bob Woolmer's Death and Terror Funding

Mani further alleged that the death of former Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer was connected to his opposition to drug trafficking by Pakistani players. Woolmer, who was 58, died on March 18, 2007, in Kingston, Jamaica, shortly after Pakistan's unexpected loss to Ireland in the 2007 Cricket World Cup.

He also claimed that a Defence Intelligence Agency estimate from 2006 indicated that approximately 30% of the funding for terrorist activities in India was sourced from the drug trade.

"Bob Woolmer, their English coach, who opposed the drug trafficking, was killed under suspicious circumstances. All these elements are interconnected. Pakistani delegations have been known to bring drugs, and according to the DIA's estimates, a significant portion of funding for terror attacks in India originated from drugs," Mani concluded.