The recent match fixing scandal involving Pakistan cricketers has taken its toll on the accused players on and off the field. Pace bowler Mohammad Asif who was expected to star in an Indian movie has been axed from the project following allegations of him being engaged in match fixing.

Indian director, Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri, a renowned lyricist and poet, no longer wishes the cricketer to be a part of his Malayalam film Mazhavillattam Vare (To the End of the Rainbow). After a series of meetings with the director’s son in London, the cricketer had agreed to play the role of a Pakistani cricketer who visits India to run a coaching school.

"Asif agreed to take the role in my film, but then there was this scandal in London, so it was very difficult to have him at all in the film," Mr Namboothiri said. The decision was taken as the character that Asif had to pull off in the movie was one with strong moral values who carried forward the movie’s theme of forging friendship through the game of cricket.Earlier the director had approached Wasim Akram to take up the role. But Akram politely declined the offer stating health reasons.

The movie was scheduled to begin shooting in October for release early next year and Namboothiri has confirmed that he hasn’t given up on the project. Last heard, he has kept the role vacant so that a suitable cricketer from the Pakistan team can pick it up.

- Prepared by Rakesh Kumar