Ban on Shoaib lifted

By Shafqat Ali

Islamabad

July 4: A Pakistani court on Friday allowed fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar to play international matches, suspending the ban imposed on him by the Pakistan Cricket Board later confirmed by an appellate tribunal.

The Lahore High Court, however, retained the Rs 7 million fine imposed on the cricketer by the PCB.

The PCB had slapped a ban of one and half years on the fast-bowler, restricting him from playing matches anywhere.

Following the ban, Akhtar had filed a petition at the LHC seeking permission to play and a termination of his ban order by the PCB.

The court had stayed the PCB verdict and was hearing the case that was completed early on Friday. Akhtar assured the LHC that he would improve his conduct.

Earlier, the LHC had issued notices to PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf for July 4 and ordered Shoaib to appear in the court for the next hearing in his petition against the imposition ban and fine on him.

In his petition Shoaib contended that the order in question was illegally passed by the tribunal by relying upon two earlier orders given by disciplinary committees of the PCB.

He said that in October 2007, a disciplinary committee had handed him a ban of 13 matches with a fine of Rs 3.4 million on the charges of hitting a fellow cricketer in South Africa.

"It was decided in that order that petitioner would undergo attitudinal counselling by an expert nominated by the board," he said.

"The petitioner would be on probation period for years and if he commits and breach of contract or act of discipline during that period a life ban would be automatically imposed on him," he quoted the PCB disciplinary committee’s order as saying.