Shoaib Akhtar

Karachi: Controversial Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar appeared to have got some reprieve on Saturday after his five-year ban by PCB was reduced to 18 months with a fine of Rs 7 million, even though clouds of doubt hovered over the future of the maverick bowler.

Shoaib’s 18-month ban with retrospective effect starts on April 1 and expires on Sept. 30, 2009. A three-member appellate tribunal of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) today reduced the five-year ban, which had been imposed on April 1 for several violations of PCB’s code of conducts, saying the punishment was too harsh.

“So we have decided to reduce it to one and half years, giving Shoaib a chance to make a comeback. But because of his past and recent record we have imposed a fine of seven million rupees on him,” Justice (retd) Aftab Farrukh, who headed the tribunal, told reporters after the hearing in Lahore.

The tribunal was expected to reduce the ban to a great extent after Shoaib apologised publicly and before the tribunal, which earlier suspended his ban for one month in April and allowed him to go and play in the Indian Premier League.

The disciplinary committee of the board had imposed the five-year ban after finding Shoaib guilty of violating a two-year probation for behaviour and also for breaking other code of conduct clauses.

“We discussed the case in detail and we reviewed everything from his past record to the reasons for the present ban. We took this decision with a clear mind and we were also under no pressure from the cricket board or any other people to go soft on Shoaib,” Farrukh said.

He revealed one of the tribunal members, Naved Chaudhary, had suggested lifting the ban and just fining the bowler Rs 20 million but the majority decision prevailed. “I personally wanted the ban to be for two years but the majority prevailed and I am satisfied we took the correct decision as we want to give Shoaib a chance to play again for Pakistan,” Farrukh said.

The tribunal also recommended counselling for the erratic pacer to improve his behaviour. “He has also assured us he will reform himself,” Farrukh said.

The legal counsel for the board Tafazzul Rizvi said he was satisfied with the decision as justice had been delivered. “The tribunal’s decision is acceptable to us,” he said.

But Abid Hasan Minto, Shoaib’s lawyer, said he had the right to appeal against the decision. “But we will only decide after looking at the proper order of the tribunal,” Minto added.

It was in this punishment that he was put on a two-year probation. He invited more trouble earlier this year after going public with his criticism of board policies after not getting a central contract. He was offered a special retainer but he turned it down.

Farrukh said the tribunal had done its job and now it was up to Shoaib to salvage his career. “He still has some years of international cricket left in him and we have given him a chance to play for his country once again if he behaves himself,” he said.

(PTI)