Lahore, June 14 : Appellate Tribunal on Saturday reduced the ban on Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar from five years to 18 months and imposed a fine of seven million rupees.

According to The News reports, Appellate Tribunal Justice (retired) Aftab Farrukh said that the third member of the tribunal was in favour of replacing the five-year ban with a fine of Rs 50 million.

Farrukh said that Shoaib should also undergo counseling.

He said that he gave the decision according to his conscience and felt that the five-year ban was too much.

This decision was taken without any pressure and the tribunal had gone into every aspect of the case before reaching the final verdict, he added.

ANI