Lahore, May 4 : An appellate tribunal will meet at 12 noon on Sunday to hear and deliberate on fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar's application for reinstatement in the Pakistan cricket team and removal of the five-year ban imposed on him by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Abid Minto, one of Akhtar's lawyers, has asked the tribunal to start the hearing, which was deferred till June, and suspend the five-year ban so that the bowler can play in the Indian Premier League.

IPL chairman Lalit Modi said that Shoaib Akhtar will not be allowed to play in the Indian Premier League despite being cleared by the Pakistan Cricket board that put to rest all the speculation over the fast bowler's participation in the tournament.

"We have requested the tribunal to meet once again and give its decision as soon as possible. We will see which course we have to adopt in case if the today's hearing did not continue and it maintained its stance on meeting in June," The Nation quoted Minto, as saying.

The tribunal had earlier upheld the five year ban on Akhtar on charges that he had committed acts of indiscipline.

Shoaib was signed up by the Kolkata Knight Riders for 425,000 dollars, but was barred from appearing in the tournament by the IPL council "in the interests of international discipline" after the PCB banned him on disciplinary grounds last month.

A Kolkata spokesperson said that the franchise would abide by whatever decision the IPL council took on the issue but would "obviously be pleased" if Shoaib was cleared to play.

The PCB is to make a final ruling on Shoaib's five-year ban by June this year.

ANI