Sharukh not averse to replacement for Shoaib

Mumbai, Apr 4 (UNI) Actor Shahrukh Khan today expressed possibility of his team 'Kolkata Knightriders', seeking a replacement for speedster Shoaib Akthar in the event of the five year ban on the bowler not being relaxed.

Talking to newsmen at the launch of ICICI Bank's 'Global Indian Account', the King Khan of Bollywood, however, asserted that the team was fully behind Shoaib at his hour of crisis and backed him to the hilt. However, he would look for a replacement in the event of Shoiab not getting relief. But it would happen only if the other seven teams in the DLF Indian Premier League agreed, he added.

Referring to his discussions with IPL Chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi on the Shoiab episode this afternoon, Sharukh said that Kolkata Knightriders would wait for the outcome of the Appellete tribunal that would hear Shoiab's appeal against the five year ban clamped on him by the Pakistan Cricket Board for gross indiscipline.

Earlier, Mr Modi talking to newsmen ruled out Shoaib appearing for the Kolkata team though the pak bowler's contract with IPL held good and through it to the Kolkata team. However, the rules of Board of Control for Cricket in India did not permit a banned player of other country to play in the IPL.

''We cannot have a situation, where a player banned for any reason, is harboured by the IPL,'' he added.

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