Mushtaq Ahmed undergoes knee operation

Sussex spinner Mushtaq Ahmed could be out of action for up to three weeks after undergoing keyhole knee surgery, his club revealed Thursday.

The former Pakistan international was admitted to hospital on Wednesday evening after the county champions decided to bring forward the planned operation.

Mark Robinson, Sussex's professional cricket manager, said:

"We made the decision very quickly on the Wednesday morning. We were originally hoping that we would just play him in four day cricket up to the Twenty20 window where he'd then have the operation.

"However, on reflection, we felt it wouldn't be right to compromise our strike bowler by having him playing in discomfort, so, with the amount of unsettled weather around and the fact our club surgeon said he could get him in that day, we felt it was the wisest decision to make.

"It is a routine operation that many sportsmen have and we are hopeful that Mushy will be back between two and three weeks."

Appellate tribunal upheld ban on Shoaib Akhtar

Shoaib Akhtar's international future was left dangling in limbo after the Pakistan Cricket Board’s appellate tribunal, set up to hear his appeal against a five-year ban, upheld the ban.

However, the decision is temporary as the appellate tribunal postponed proceedings on the petition and decided to revisit the appeal in June.

Shoaib Akhtar rejected the stay of petition by the tribunal.

The three-member appellate tribunal, headed by Justice (Retd.) Aftab Farrukh, in its interim ruling Wednesday said Shoaib Akhtar cannot play any match in or for Pakistan, but allowed him to play anywhere else in the world.

Justice (Rtd) Farrukh said ban will stay as Shoaib did not try to reform himself.

"Basically he has not tried to reform himself and has continued to violate discipline. That is view of the tribunal, so the ban stays,"

he told newsmen here.

"This is also order of disciplinary committee of Pakistan Cricket Board that he can't play for or anywhere in Pakistan domestically or internationally. But there is no bar on him playing anywhere else in the world,"

Farrukh added.

He said tribunal had taken the decision in view of unconditional apology submitted by Shoaib on Monday to the nation, his team and Board for his actions.

The tribunal will resume proceedings against overall ban in June.

Appellate Tribunal calls for the details of PCB-IPL letters

Appellate Tribunal Chief, Justice ® Aftab Farrukh has called for the details of the correspondence between Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Indian Board and the managements of IPL, following the Tribunal’s interim decision, while the PCB lawyer said that he has submitted the relevant clarification and would do so if required in future also, as he could never think of interfering in the Tribunal’s proceedings.

Appellate Tribunal Chief Justice ® Aftab Farrukh summoning PCB lawyer, Tafazzul Rizvi in his office had called for clarification of the correspondence with the IPL and Indian Board. Later, he told Geo News that as Shoaib Akhtar matters were still under hearing, but several news with reference to PCB legal advisor appeared after the interim order, therefore, clarification was called for so that it could be ascertained whether his action was aimed at influencing the Tribunal’s proceedings.