‘No more punishment for Shoaib for hitting Asif’

PCB may have recalled Shoaib after his brawl with Asif but it will now question him about playing charity match without permission.

The Pakistan Cricket Board, which recalled Shoaib Akhtar after his brawl with teammate Mohammad Asif, would not again punish the bowler for the offence but question him about subsequently holding a press conference and playing a charity match in England without its permission.

Shoaib would also be interrogated about making serious allegations against teammate Shahid Afridi in a disciplinary committee hearing which is expected to give a decision in the case on Saturday.

A senior PCB official said the fast bowler has already been punished for his row with Asif as the team manager sent him back from South Africa before the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa last month.

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“The factual situation is that we have not included the primary charge in the fresh show cause notice sent to Shoaib as he has already been penalised for this offence by being sent back from South Africa,” said Shafqat Naghmi, the PCB’s Chief Executive.

“It is an old charge and during the hearing we have to decide if he deserves more penalty for this particular offence,” he added.

Naghmi said the show cause notice send to Shoaib contained fresh charges of him addressing a press conference and going to play a charity match in England without the Board’s permission and making serious allegations against teammate Shahid Afridi.

“These charges and the old one would be argued today in the hearing and if the proceedings are not long we could have a decision later today,” Naghmi said.

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He said even if Shoaib was cleared by the disciplinary committee he would not be in the run for the second Test against South Africa starting on Monday as the squad had already been announced.

“If cleared than he would come into reckoning for the five one-day series.”

Shoaib has hired lawyer Bilal Mintoo to defend himself after he was sent back from South Africa for a brawl he claims was provoked by Afridi.

Shoaib claimed he hit Asif by mistake and not intentionally.

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Team Manager Talat Ali has recommended a fine and a ban of matches for Shoaib and also advised the board to have the fast bowler undergo some “counseling”.

PCB Chairman Naseem Ashraf said no leniency would be shown towards Shoaib in the disciplinary hearing as there was going to be no compromise on discipline.

Ashraf also pleaded with media men during a news conference on Friday in Karachi not to plead the cases of indisciplined players and keep the interest of Pakistan cricket paramount.

“No one should be considered bigger than Pakistan cricket and team,” he said.