Howrah News Service -  Latest news and headlines on Howrah,West Bengal and World: Ban on Shoaib lifted

Ban on Shoaib lifted
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ASIANAGE on 04 July, 2008 04:56:34
 
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.