|
 Karachi,
Oct 11: Pakistan's controversial fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar was
today banned for 13 one-day internationals and fined Rs 34 lakhs
by the Pakistan Cricket Board for hitting fellow pacer Mohammad
Asif with a bat and three other offenses. Shoaib's ban period
will start with the Twenty20 World Cup and will end with
five-match home series against South Africa, making him eligible
for selection for the high-voltage tour of India in
November-December. The PCB disciplinary committee announced that
Shoaib had breached the code of conduct on four counts and any
further act of indiscipline would result in a life ban.
"Shoaib has been banned for 13 matches and
slapped a fine of 3.4 million rupees," PCB Chief Operating
Officer Shafqat Naghmi, who headed the disciplinary committee
hearing Shoaib's case, told reporters. "He will miss the five
one-dayers against South Africa but is available for selection
for the Indian tour," Naghmi said adding "it is up to the
selectors to decide on his selection." "But after he serves the
five matches ban against South Africa there is nothing to stop
him from making himself available again for Pakistan." said
Naghmi. By missing the Twenty20 World Cup, Shoaib has already
served seven ODIs of his 13-match ban.
Naghmi said the committee, after several
hearings and after giving a fair chance to Shoaib to defend
himself, had reached the decision to impose the ban and also
dock 9.5 points from the bowler's central contract which will
affect his overall earnings. "He is also placed under a two-year
probation period and if he is found guilty of any more breaches
of the code he will be automatically banned for life," Naghmi
said. Shoaib was sent back from South Africa by the team
management last month after he hit Asif with a bat during
practice session.
On returning home, he was charged with four
other counts of indiscipline and violating the code of conduct.
Naghmi said Shoaib had been penalised for the Asif incident,
leaving a training camp and going to England to play a charity
match without permission of the board, holding an authorised
press conference on returning from South Africa and violating a
probation period of six weeks that was imposed on him in August
for leaving the camp in Karachi without permission of the team
manager.
"But we found no evidence of him having
criticised the Board which was the fifth charge against him,"
Naghmi said. The 13 match-ban and the fine is the highest-ever
imposed on a Pakistani cricketer by the Board apart from the
life bans imposed on former captain Salim Malik and batsman
Qasim Omar. Shoaib, who was present at the conference, said he
had learnt his lesson after suffering a lot in recent times. "I
want to close this chapter and get on with playing for Pakistan.
I am not going to file any appeal against the ban or fine," he
said. Shoaib said the last one month had been a nightmarish
period for him which he would never forget in his life.
"I have apologised to Asif for the incident
and the Board and in future will be careful about my conduct,"
he said. "I am very keen to make the Indian tour and contribute
for Pakistan cricket," he added. The fast bowler since making
his debut in 1997 has been embroiled in several controversies
and last year was banned for testing positive for a banned
substance by a drugs inquiry tribunal of the Board. But he
appealed against the ban and was cleared. Naghmi said the Board
had through this case given a clear message to all players that
while they would be adequately rewarded for their performances,
no indiscipline would be tolerated from anyone no matter how big
a player he is.
"We gave Shoaib permission to have a lawyer
represent him in this case because we wanted fair play and
justice for him. "We hope he has learnt his lesson now and will
be careful in this probation period," he said. (Agencies)
|
