PCB seeks High Court's advice on Akhtar issue

Lahore, Sep 17 (UNI) Shoaib Akhtar's efforts to make a comeback to the national squad received another setback today, as the PCB has sought the High Court's advice on whether the temperamental pace bowler can play the domestic T20 tournament without paying the seven million rupee fine.

According to the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) legal adviser Taffazul Hussain Rizvi, Shoaib cannot play for and in Pakistan until he pays the fine because the Lahore High court suspended the ban, but upheld the fine.

He further added that the petitioner was surprisingly not trying to get a date, so that he can either get cleared or pay the fine in order to play in or for Pakistan.

''I have now been asked to take advice from the High court which I will take in the next couple of days,'' Rizvi said.

Earlier, the PCB had dropped Akhtar from the Islamabad squad that would be competing in the October 4-8 RBS National Twenty-20 tournament.

However, sources said Shoaib's name had been removed because he was yet to pay the fine of Rs 7 million imposed on him by the PCB's Appellate Tribunal.

Surprisingly, the Lahore High Court, in an order on Shoaib's appeal against the fine and two-year ban had allowed the bowler to play cricket while pending the decision on the fine. On that basis, Shoaib's name had also been included in the 15-member squad for the now-postponed Champions Trophy.

Moreover, the schedule and format of the tournament indicates that the PCB is just filling in the blanks by aiming to wind up a 13-team high-profile competition within just five days.

The winners of this tournament will be representing the country in the Champions League where top teams of different countries would be competing.

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