Mohammad Asif finally returned home early on Friday from Dubai after drug charges were dropped against him.

The 25-year-old fast bowler was held at Dubai airport on June 1 while returning home after turning up for Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League.

There has been much speculation about the fate of the fast bowler ever since. The PCB backed the player through out but reiterated that the Board would take severe action against Asif if was to be found guilty.

However, after two grilling weeks, public prosecutors in Dubai dropped the case on Thursday citing insignificant evidence and announced that he would be deported to Pakistan.

Asif arrived at Karachi international airport Friday morning, only to be whisked away to a domestic terminal for a flight to Lahore.

The PCB earlier has expressed its gratitude with the decision, saying it "is relieved that his ordeal is over."

"We appreciate the professional manner in which the whole issue was dealt with by the Dubai police, prosecution department and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) authorities," it said in a statement.

"The drug tests conducted on Asif during the investigations in Dubai were clear and negative for any contraband substance," the statement said.

The PCB will now conduct its own immediate inquiry into the case, once it receives official records from authorities in Dubai.

The Federal Investigation Authority in Pakistan had said last week they will also deal with Asif under their rules and regulations.

Mohammad Al Nuaimi, the Dubai prosecutor who handled the charges, said on Thursday that the case "has been dropped against Mohammad Asif due to insignificance ..."

"It is definite that he committed the crime of smuggling and possessing 0.24 grams of opium as he was caught red-handed ... however in certain cases and for a faster litigation process the public prosecution drops a case due to insignificance and deports the suspect," he said, according to the online version of the local daily Gulf News.

Asif had been banned for one year after he and fellow paceman Shoaib Akhtar tested positive for nandrolone in September 2006.

Akhtar, too was banned for two years. But the punishments were later overturned on appeal.