Zeenews Bureau
Karachi, April 01: Shoaib Akhtar, the world’s fastest bowler, was on Tuesday slapped with a five-year ban for violating the players’ code of conduct. Chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board Nasim Ashraf pronounced the verdict after a disciplinary committee meeting ruled against Akhtar. Shoiab can contest the ban in the next 5-7 days.
Briefing the media Ashraf said, “Shoaib was under two year watch, however there were 14 to 15 instances where he was found guilty of breaching the players code of conduct.”
However leg spinner Danish Kaneria facing similar charges was let off after a warning.
"The board has lost confidence in Shoaib Akhtar and therefore felt his presence in the field was damaging to the Pakistan team, for Pakistan players and for the image of Pakistan cricket," the PCB chairman, Nasim Ashraf, told when quizzed by reporters.
The ban on speedster may also affect his chances of playing in the IPL. Shoaib was bought by Shah Rukh Khan’s Kolkata Knight Riders. PCB chairman however clarified that the ban would not affect his chances of playing outside country.
Akhtar and leg-spinner Danish Kaneria were asked to appear before the disciplinary committee on Tuesday to respond to the charges of speaking out against the policies of the board and other violations of the code.
The board had authorized the disciplinary committee to clear or penalize the two players.
In the new central contracts given out to the players, the penalties for speaking out against the policies of the board include a fine of Rs 1- 10 crore, three penalty points in the contract and even a ban of one to seven matches.
Akhtar, however, had not been given a new central contract, but instead offered a special retainer which he had refused to accept.
The board, in fact, has greatly increased the severity of its penalties for various counts of misconduct by players in the new contracts. If a player fails to report for a fitness test or does not listen to the board and team directives, he can be fined Rs 2-10 lakh or banned for three to six matches.
