PCB forms two-man committee to hear Shoaib Akhtar's appeal

Lahore, Aug 15 (UNI) Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed a two-member appellate tribunal to hear the case of maverick fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar's appeal in the case related to slaping of Rs 300,000 for leaving the national training camp in Karachi early this month.

Former Pakistan Test wicket-keeper Imtiaz Ahmed and Moin Afzal, a member of the PCB ad-hoc committee, will hear Shoaib's appeal. The tribunal is expected to start its hearing after August 17 and submit its report before the start of the national training camp in Lahore.

Shafqat Naghmi, PCB's Chief Operating Officer, confired the formation of the tribunal.

''We have formed a two-man committee which will have a meeting with Shoaib Akhtar within the next few days before taking a decision on his appeal.'' Shoaib, (32) was slapped with a hefty fine of Rs 300,000 last week after he left the national training camp in Karachi on August four without informing team manager Talat Ali.

Later, the manager filed a complaint against Shoaib and a PCB disciplinary committee found him guilty of violating the Board's code of conduct. Shoaib was summoned at the PCB meeting but he failed to attend it.

The committee also docked 1.5 points from Shoaib's discipline account under the newly signed central contract.

Later, the pacer complained of not receiving the notice to appear before the committee on time.

It was further revealed that the disciplinary committee wrongly dealt with the case by applying the clauses of the International Cricket Council (ICC), which match-referees exercise in dealing with disciplinary cases during tournaments.

But then any player can be produced before the ICC match referee in 24 hours during the game because they stay in the same hotel. In the case Shoaib, it was altogether a different ball game.

The appointment of two ad hoc committee members is being seen as PCB's intention to exonerate the bowler on the benefit of doubt.

Also the fact that PCB's decision of not taking any action against Shoaib for using harsh words against the board's officials in front of their offices on Friday is percieved as the pacer wriggling out of trouble in this particular case.

UNI