Sport

Ban on Shoaib Akhtar upheld

LAHORE: A Pakistani Appeals Committee on Wednesday temporarily upheld a five-year ban imposed on fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, but said he was free to play cricket outside the country.

The 32-year-old paceman was banned earlier this month for breaching the players’ Code of Conduct by publicly criticising the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after he was not offered a central contract.

“Shoaib Akhtar can play anywhere outside Pakistan. The disciplinary committee did not restrain him from playing anywhere in the world,” retired judge Aftab Farrukh, the head of the three-member tribunal, told reporters here on Wednesday.

Farrukh said the main hearing into Akthar’s appeal against the ban would take place in June and that the ban on playing in or for Pakistan would stay in place until then.

Though the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has cleared Shoaib Akhtar to play in the DLF-Indian Premier League (IPL) for Kolkata Knight Riders, the controversial fast bowler still cannot play in the Twenty20 league as per the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) recent decision.

“Unless he is cleared to play for Pakistan, he cannot play in the IPL. This was the decision taken by the Special General Body of the BCCI in Bangalore before the start of the Twenty20 event,” BCCI sources said here on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, in New Delhi, Kolkata Knight Riders made it clear that it would abide by the IPL’s decision on whether or not to allow Akhtar to play in the tournament. - Agencies

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu