Justice Ijazul Ahsan of the Lahore High Court on Friday fixed December 19 for arguments on a petition by fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar challenging the penalty of a one-and-a-half year ban on his playing cricket and Rs7 million fine imposed on him by an appellate tribunal.
The judge adjourned the hearing as the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) counsel did not appear due to an illness.
The PCB’s disciplinary committee had banned Akhtar from playing cricket for five years in October 2007. He had been accused of indiscipline and violating the conditions of a two-year probation for hitting teammate, Mohammad Asif, with a bat. The committee’s order stated that Akhtar would undergo attitudinal counselling by an expert nominated by the board. He was put on probation for five years. A lifelong ban would be imposed if he violated the probation terms. On June 14, 2008, a PCB appellate tribunal headed by Justice (retd) Mian Aftab Farrukh, reduced Akhtar’s five-year probation to 18 months and fined him Rs7 million.
Akhtar challenged the order before the LHC. The LHC suspended the ban on July 4, 2008, and allowed him to play cricket until his appeal was heard.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 23rd, 2013.