Hearing in Shoaib Akhtar’s fine case on Oct 8

Hearing of the writ filed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in the Lahore High Court (LHC) will be held on October 8 instead of October 3.

PCB legal advisor Tafazzul Rizvi told Geo News that the hearing on October 3 cannot be possible due to Eid holidays and therefore chief justice LHC Syed Zahid Hussain has fixed October 8 as new date for the hearing.

Tafazzul Rizvi will be in the United States on October 8 in connection with a conference there and in his absence, Talib Rizvi will appear in the court on behalf of the PCB.

The PCB had filed a petition in the court for seeking guidance that whether Shoaib Akhtar can play cricket in or for Pakistan without paying the fine of Rs 7 million.

Shoaib Akhtar to play domestic Twenty20 tournament

Shoaib Akhtar has been included for Pakistan's national Twenty20 tournament, which starts on October 4 in Lahore, after he was issued an ultimatum by the Pakistan Cricket Board to pay an outstanding fine of Rs 7 million (approx US$105,000). The PCB today announced its 15-member squads for all 13 participating teams, with Shoaib representing Islamabad Leopards.

The PCB slapped Shoaib, 33, with the fine last month after he criticised the PCB over its failure to award him a central contract. He was initially banned by the PCB for five years, but the sentence had been reduced to 18 months by an appellate tribunal in June.

The ban had restricted him from playing in and for Pakistan but he was given permission to play in England. He's currently on a short stint with Surrey. He has also been included in the preliminary 20-man squad for next month's Canada Cup Four Nation Twenty20 tournament.

A notable exclusion is the batsman Younis Khan, who was granted permission from the PCB to represent South Australia as their overseas player in their domestic season, which starts next month.

The tournament will be staged between October 4-8 at the Bagh-e-Jinnah and Lahore City Cricket Association Grounds. It will serve as a selection trial for the series in Canada, Pakistan's first international assignment after the recent Asia Cup. The Champions Trophy, scheduled between September 12-28, was postponed due to security issues.

PCB seeks LHC guidance in Shoaib Akhtar case

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has filed an application at the Lahore High Court for seeking guidance for allowing Shoaib Akhtar to play for Pakistan without paying the fine.

Legal advisor PCB Tafazzal Rizvi told Geo News that the Lahore High Court on July 4 had issued a stay order against 18-month ban on fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar but that did not include any stay order regarding payment of the fine and therefore he legally could not play cricket in Pakistan and for Pakistan cricket team.

However, Shoaib Akhtar had adopted the instance that he would be liable to pay the fine when the case would be decided by the court.

Tafazzal Rizvi said that it has been asked to the court in the PCB’s petition to guide the PCB whether Shoaib should be allowed to play or not without paying the fine.

The petition will be heard on September 22 by the chief justice Lahore High Court justice Syed Zahid Hussain.

Hearing on Shoaib's appeal against ban postponed

A hearing on fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar's appeal against an 18-month ban was postponed Tuesday because the judge was not available, a lawyer for the Pakistan Cricket Board said.

The 33-year-old paceman is appealing the ban and a fine of seven million rupees (100,000 dollars).

"Lahore High Court Justice Syed Zahid Hussain was not available to hear the case as he was attending the swearing-in ceremony of the president of Pakistan in Islamabad,"

PCB lawyer Taffazul Rizvi said.

A new date for the hearing would be announced next week, he said.

The original ban of five years was imposed by the PCB disciplinary committee in April following Akhtar's public criticism of the board in January when he was axed from the list of 15 contracted players.

An appeal committee reduced the ban but imposed the fine in June before the Lahore High Court suspended the ban the same month, allowing Akhtar to play in the Indian Premier League.

However the court upheld the fine, a prerequisite for Akhtar representing Pakistan again.

He was named to a 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy that was to be held in September but was postponed for 12 months amid security fears in Pakistan.

The injury-prone paceman is in London due to play for Surrey in a county game against Hampshire starting at The Oval on Tuesday.

I’ll prove 100% fitness through better performance in county cricket: Shoaib Akhtar

Pakistan cricket team’s fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar said that he would try to prove his 100 per cent fitness by showing better performance in the English county cricket.

Talking with media at the Allama Iqbal International Airport before leaving for Delhi, he said that he would be given an opportunity to prove his fitness by playing county cricket while he would also get good support from his fellow countryman Saqlain Mushtaq in the county.

He said that he is going to India for participating in a private tv programme. After a day’s stay in Delhi, the fast bowler will leave for London to represent Surrey in the English county cricket.

Shoaib sent back from London due to visa problem

Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has been sent back from London as he had no working visa.

He had reached London for playing cricket for Surrey - an English county. He was determined to make a successful return to county cricket and help Surrey with his performance in the county’s remaining three matches.

Although the Pakistan Cricket Board had given Akhtar a No Objection Certificate, clearing the way for him to play in Surrey's last three County Championship matches but the British immigration officials sent him back to Pakistan as he could not show them his working visa.

Meanwhile, Shoaib Akhtar said that he would go again to London on Saturday for playing matches for his county.

Shoaib Akhtar targets Pakistan return with Surrey stint

Fit-again Shoaib Akhtar vowed Tuesday to use a short stint with Surrey to mount a comeback at international level, saying he would do his best to help the English county side avoid relegation.

Surrey, who look set for the drop as they are bottom of the County Championship table with only three matches to go, have recruited the mercurial Pakistan paceman on a contract until the end of the season.

Akhtar, on the way back from injury and disciplinary breaches, will fly to London on Wednesday.

The 33-year-old said there could be no better launching pad for a return.

"I am honoured to play for a county like Surrey,"

Shoaib Akhtar said.

"I will do my best to win all three matches for the county and I am fit and raring to go."

He said he would try and live up to the standards of one of his idols Waqar Younis, who once played for Surrey, and "keep up the traditions of Pakistan fast bowling."

The bowler said his arrival in England has been slightly delayed due to family illness.

"My mother was not well, otherwise I wanted to reach there for the last four or five matches. But still it is a great opportunity for me to prove my fitness before the Pakistan team fly out to South Africa or for a possible series or against India at home,"

said Akhtar.

Pakistan's team is lacking international cricket after Australia postponed a full tour to the country over security fears in March.

To add to their woes, the International Cricket Council was forced to postpone September's Champions Trophy until next year after non-Asian teams raised concerns about playing in Pakistan, which has been driven by bombings and suicide attacks.

The postponement deprived Akhtar of the chance to stage a comeback after he was handed a five-year ban by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over a series of discipline violations.

The ban followed his public criticism of the PCB after he was axed from a list of 15 contracted players in January.

In July, an appeal committee reduced the ban to 18 months but imposed a fine of seven million rupees (93,000 dollars). A Lahore High court hearing suspended the ban but upheld the fine, paving the way for his selection in the Trophy squad last month.

Akhtar promised he had put his troubles behind him.

"The past eight months were disappointing, but now I am focused on my return. I want to bowl at least 15-20 overs in an innings and gain rhythm because we are hosting India late in the year."

Pakistan host India for three Tests and five one-day internationals from December 2008 to February 2009.

Shoaib Akhtar has played 46 Tests and 138 one-day internationals for Pakistan since making his debut in 1997, but has not played any international cricket this year.

The PCB said it had issued a no objections certificate, allowing Shoaib Akhtar to play for Surrey.

Shoaib Akhtar has to pay fine: PCB

The Pakistan Cricket Board said that Shoaib Akhtar has to compulsorily pay the fine before appearing in a forthcoming international event.

PBC lawyer Tafazzul Rizvi said that in the notice sent to Shoaib, he was asked to pay fine before the Champions Trophy because then it was Pakistan’s first assignment after the court verdict.

However, if Shoaib Akhtar wants to represent Pakistan in international cricket then first he has to pay the fine before the next event.

Tafazzul Rizvi said that Shoaib Akhtar ahs already received the notce for paying fine but he has still not replied it.

Shoaib Akhtar asked to pay fine before Champions Trophy

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has asked Shoaib Akhtar to pay the fine of seven million rupees before the ICC Champions Trophy.

The PCB has sent a notice to fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar asking him to pay the fine of Rs.
7,000,000.

Shoaib Akhtar’s name has been included in the 15-man squad selected for the ICC Champions Trophy.

Talking with Reporter Syed Yahya Hussaini, PCB’s chief operating officer Shafqat Naghmi said that honouring the Lahore High Court decision we did not object on the selection of Shoaib Akhtar. However, the court did not stop us from receiving the fine from the fast bowler.

Meanwhile, the lawyer of Shoaib Akhtar said that the reply of the notice would be given after consulting with the fast bowler.

According to the PCB sources, chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf and captain Shoaib Malik are not happy with Shoaib Akhtar’s returning to the team and therefore his case is being made complicated.

I’ll gain rhythm within two weeks: Shoaib Akhtar

Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar said that he needs two to three weeks for fitness and he would begin physical training from Sunday.

Talking with media after bowling practice at the National Cricket Academy, Shoaib Akhtar said that he would give dope test on Sunday because he has no fears and would also give fitness test once he gains rhythm.

He said that he moved to dispel any suggestion he was running away from dope tests ahead of the Champions Trophy, saying he would be the first to give a sample.

The PCB will conduct dope tests on its 30-man preliminary Champions Trophy squad on Sunday to avoid any further embarrassment following paceman Mohammad Asif's failed test in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The 32-year-old Shoaib Akhtar was named in Pakistan's provisional squad earlier this month after Lahore High Court suspended a separate 18-month ban for ill-discipline.

The PCB on Friday left out Akhtar from a 24-member training camp starting later this month on fitness grounds, saying the paceman has asked for time to gain full fitness.

Pakistan feature in a proposed four-nation Twenty20 event in Canada to be held from August 14-17 before hosting New Zealand for a three-match one-day series in late August.

Pakistan host the biennial Champions Trophy from September 11 to 28.

Pakistan names 30 probables for Champions Trophy

The Chief operating officer, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Shafquat Naghmi has announced Pakistan’s preliminary squad for the ICC Champions Trophy here in a press conference today.

The Pakistani squad includes: Shoaib Malik (Captain), Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir, Nasir Jamshaid, Azhar Ali, Misbah-ul-Haq (V. Captain), Khalid Latif, Salman Butt, Younis Khan, Bazid Khan, Fawad Alam, Masood Amjad, Shoaib Akhtar, Rao Iftikhar, Abdur Rauf, Anwar Ali, Muhammad Amir, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saeed Ajmal, Kamran Akmal, Ahmed Shehzad, Yasir Hameed, Wahab Riaz, Muhammad Ali, Muhammad Yasir, Sohail Khan, Mansoor Amjad, Umer Gul and Khurram Manzoor.

Last week, the International Cricket Council (ICC) allowed the PCB to delay the naming of 30 probables until July 15. Pakistan is due to host the biennial Champions Trophy, featuring the top eight cricket countries from September 11-28. The cut-off time for submitting the final 15-member squad to the ICC is August 11.

Fine payment: Shoaib sends written reply to PCB notice

Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has requested to the Pakistan Cricket Board to withdraw for the time being from a demand of paying the fine of Rs seven million as his case is still in the court. However, he assures to pay the fine on the complete verdict from the court.

A meeting of the PCB officials and the selection committee was held today at the PCB headquarters in Lahore for finalizing the preliminary squad for the ICC Champions Trophy.

On this occasion, Shoaib Akhtar sent his written instance on PCB's notice regarding the fine of Rs seven million.

He has adopted the instance that since the case is still in the Lahore High Court and the complete verdict is due to be announced whereas no deadline has been determined for the payment of the fine of Rs seven million, he therefore requests to the Board to withdraw its demand for paying the fine and consider him for selection.

Shoaib also requested to the Board not to relate his selection to any other issue.

He also assured the PCB that he would pay the fine on the decision of the LCH.

Team selection delayed until Shoaib Akhtar ‘pays up’

Senior Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials and national selectors seemed to be on a collision course after Pakistan delayed naming their preliminary squad for the Champions Trophy following a dispute with controversial pacer Shoaib Akhtar over the payment of a seven million rupees fine.

The selectors had included Shoaib in a 30-man provisional list for the Champions Trophy but some Board officials disapproved it, saying that the fast bowler cannot be a part of it until he pays the fine.

With PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf not in the country, it was left to Shafqat Naghmi, the Board’s chief operating officer, to resolve the issue after it snowballed into the newest controversy to hit Pakistan cricket.

Naghmi has summoned the national selectors to the Board headquarters in Lahore on Monday (July 14) to discuss the provisional list. The PCB has decided to name the Champions Trophy probables after the meeting.

The Board landed itself in an embarrassing situation when the preliminary list was leaked to the media before it was officially announced.

The list was due to be released on Friday — the deadline set by the International Cricket Council (ICC). A PCB official, however, said that the ICC has relaxed the deadline till July 15.

“It (the announcement of the list) is not an issue,”

Mansoor Sohail, PCB’s media director, said.

“The list will be released after the meeting between Board officials and the selectors on Monday,”

he added.

While Sohail tried to play down the episode, this correspondent has learnt that the selectors were unhappy at the way PCB officials have tackled the issue. Sources said that the selectors included Shoaib and another controversial pacer Mohammad Asif in the list after getting permission from Ashraf before he left for England for a week-long visit. They weren’t expecting other PCB officials to question the list.

According to well-placed sources, it was Zakir Khan, PCB’s Director of Cricket Operations (International), who raised an objection on Shoaib’s inclusion in the list. Zakir has had problems with Shoaib in the past and the two are not the best of friends.

But Naghmi made it clear that Zakir’s objection came because of an entirely different reason.

“We have a policy or a vision for the first year to concentrate mostly on the 26 players we are paying a monthly salary or retainer to,”

Naghmi told.

“This pool numbers 26 and we needed 30,”

he added.

“We had also decided that if any extraordinary talent outside this pool emerges, then we have men like Mudassar Nazar, Aaqib Javed and Haroon Rasheed at the academy who spot this talent.

“So anytime the selectors pick outside this 26, a committee headed by Zakir Khan needs to just approve that these are the guys we should pick. That was scheduled for this morning but couldn’t happen and will now happen on Monday,”

he added.

When contacted by ‘The News’, chief selector Salahuddin Ahmed made it clear that the selection committee will accept any decision made by the PCB Governing Board.

“It (Governing Board) is the supreme authority and its decision will be final,”

he said adding that the selectors had picked the best players in the provisional squad.

Of those best players, two are disputed.

Shoaib is the main bone of contention. He was banned for five years on April 1 this year over repeated breaches of discipline but later the punishment was reduced to 18 months but he was slapped with a Rs 7 million fine.

Later, Shoaib filed a petition with the Lahore High Court against the ban and fine last month. The court suspended the ban but refused to clear the fine until the case is taken up for regular hearing in September.

The board’s legal opinion suggests that Shoaib will become eligible after he pays the fine.

“We got the written court order today,”

Naghmi said.

“They suspended the ban but not the fine. We have asked our lawyer whether Shoaib becomes eligible after paying the fine and the lawyer believes that is the case. We’ve sent a letter to Shoaib to pay the fine by Monday.”

The second player in question is Asif. A PCB fact-finding committee is to probe an incident that led to his detention in Dubai last month for allegedly carrying a banned drug.

The three-man committee, which includes Naghmi, Zakir and Nadeem Akram, will begin its work from Monday, after receiving documents related to the case from Dubai.

Champions Trophy: ‘Pakistan’s preliminary squad by July 15’

Chief operating officer Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Shafquat Naghmi said that Pakistan’s preliminary squad for the ICC Champions Trophy would be announced after getting the approval from the PCB governing body.

Talking in the Geo News programme ‘Scorer’, Shafquat Naghmi said that the selection committee has finalized the squad for the Champions Trophy and waiting for an approval from the governing body under the PCB procedure and the team would be announced soon after getting the approval.

Sahfquat Naghmi said that the deadline for announcing the preliminary squad for the Champions Trophy is July 15 and the team would be announced before the deadline.

In reply to a question regarding the inclusion of Shoaib Akhtar, he said that it would be known when the team would be announced.

However, he told that the copy of the Lahore High Court decision has been received.

Younis: Shoaib Needs Extra Care

Younis Khan has backed Shoaib Akhtar to return to the Pakistan side - but insisted the troubled fast bowler needed to be treated with extra care.

Shoaib was freed by a court to play for the national side after a Lahore High Court judge suspended his 18-month ban for a breach of disciplinary.

A tribunal had already reduced Shoaib's ban from the PCB from five years - with the latest appeal hearing suspending the sentence until September.

However Younis believes that Shoaib needs to be looked after to get the best out of him.

"I have spent a lot of time with him,"

Younis told The News.

"He is like a child and needs constant attention. He needs extra care.

"He is a match-winner. Fast bowlers are fun-loving and passionate. More passionate than other players.

"Shoaib is hounded by the media all the time. He needs privacy and encouragement."

Lahore High Court suspends ban on Shoaib

Lahore High Court(LHC) has suspended one and a half year ban imposed on Shoaib Akhtar by Pakistan Cricket Board’s appellate tribunal, however, fine of Rs. seven milllion will remain intact.

Shoaib is also allowed to play cricket till the announcement of final verdict of the writ.

Shoaib Akhtar files petition against ban

Shoaib Akhtar has filed a writ petition in the Lahore High Court seeking to overturn the original five-year ban imposed on him by the Pakistan board that was later reduced to 18 months by an appellate tribunal.

Even though Shoaib's ban was reduced after an appeal, he wasn't happy with the tribunal's decision.

"I want to play for Pakistan as soon as possible,"

Shoaib told PTI.

"I was disappointed with the tribunal's decision on my appeal."

"We feel the decision of the PCB in the first place to ban him for five years was illegal and unjustified,"

Abid Hasan Minto, Shoaib's legal counsel, said.

"We believe he is being prevented from playing cricket for his country by an illegal decision of the board. The ban itself is very harsh. We are contesting the entire ban."

Nasim Ashraf, the Pakistan board chairman, had said Shoaib was free to appeal in court.

"That is his decision to make,"

Ashraf had said.

"The tribunal's verdict has nothing to do with the PCB. I can't overturn the reduced ban on him. The decision made by Justice Aftab Farrukh is final and it can only be challenged in the court."

Shoaib was banned for five years in April by a disciplinary committee of the PCB for violating the players' code of conduct after he was charged with publicly criticising the board for offering him a retainership instead of a contract. The ban prevented him from playing in the IPL until it was suspended for one month which facilitated Shoaib's participation in the Twenty20 tournament.

Shoaib appealed against the five-year ban and it was reduced to 18 months along with a fine of Rs 7 million (approximately $105,000) by a PCB-appointed appellate tribunal, headed by Justice (retd) Aftab Farrukh, on June 14.

Shoaib Akhtar to appeal against Tribunal’s verdict

Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has resolved to register appeal in High Court against the 18-month ban verdict of Appellate Tribunal here on Monday.

Shoaib’s counsel Abid Hassan Minto, talking to the Geo News correspondent Sohail Imran, said that we have yet to receive the formal copy of tribunal’s verdict in black and white after which we would contact High Court for filing appeal.

Appellate Tribunal had reduced Shoaib Akhtar’s five-year ban to 18 months with rupees seven million fine on Saturday.

18 month-ban, Rs 7 million-fine awarded to Shoaib Akhtar

The Appellate Tribunal in a majority decision has reduced the ban on Shoaib Akhtar from five years to 18 months and imposed a fine of seven million rupees.

While talking to media the head of the Appellate Tribunal Justice (retired) Aftab Farrukh told that the third member of the tribunal was in favour of withdrawing the five-year ban and instead imposing a fine of Rs 50 million.

Aftab Farrukh said that Shoaib Akhtar should also undergo counseling.

He said that he gave his verdict according to his conscious and he personally felt that the five-year ban was too much.

He said that this decision was not made under any pressure and the tribunal has reviewed the case from every aspect before reaching the final verdict.

Sohail Tanvir, Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Akhtar back home

Fast bowler of the IPL winning Rajasthan Royals Sohail Tanvir and wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal arrived in Lahore while Shoaib Akhtar was present in the same flight but he proceeded to Islamabad without talking with media.

Winning the best bowler of the IPL award, Sohail Tanvir and Kamran Akmal arrived in Lahore from Delhi on Wednesday.

Talking with media at the Lahore airport, Sohail Tanvir said that he has learnt a lot under the captaincy of Shane Warne which will benefit him in future.

He said that Paksitan team would definitely win in the tri-nation series.