Shoaib excluded from training squad over unpaid fine

Lahore, Jul 18 (UNI) Despite being named in the initial preliminary squad, fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has been left out of the Champions Trophy training camp by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for not paying the fine imposed on him by the appellate tribunal.

PCB Chief selector Salahuddin Ahmed informed that the board had not cleared Shoaib to be among the 24-member man squad despite being named in the initial preliminary squad for the Champions Trophy which is scheduled to begin from September this year.

''Once the board gives him clearance, only then he will be allowed to attend the camp,'' Ahmed said.

Shoaib had been asked to pay a fine of seven million Pakistan rupees by July 14 to be considered for selection.

The fine was imposed on him by an appelate tribunal that reduced his five-year ban to 18 months for various acts of indiscipline by the pace bowler.

However, Shoaib's lawyer informed the board that once the High court takes a final decision on him, only then he will consider paying the fine.

The court had suspended the ban but not the fine.

''We had to give his name because of the ICC deadline. But now until this fine issue is cleared we are not considering him for selection,'' Ahmed added.

Pakistan is due to play a Twenty20 four-nation tournament in Toronto from August 17 and will host New Zealand for three one-dayers ahead of the Champions Trophy.

Training squad: Shoaib Malik (capt), Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, Salman Butt, Nasir Jamshed, Khalid Latif, Ahmed Shehzad, Yasir Shah, Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir, Fawad Alam, Abdul Rehman, Mansoor Amjad, Umar Gul, Mohammad Ali, Rao Iftikhar, Sohail Khan, Abdur Rauf, Mohammad Aamer, Kamran Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmed, Saeed Ajmal, Wahab Riaz, Anwar Ali.

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