KARACHI:
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is trying to mend the broken relationship with Shoaib Akhtar as the former fast bowler has started pushing harder for the seven million rupees which were cut off from his yearly earning as a fine, reported Press Trust of India.
The PCB deducted the amount on disciplinary grounds in 2009 and banned Shoaib for 18 months for violating his contract by hitting teammate Muhammad Asif with a bat and criticising the board and management.
The money was deducted from his central contract payments, match fees and win bonuses (from January 2009 to November 2009).
Shoaib filed a petition in the Lahore High Court (LHC) and Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza set aside the fine and the ban this year in February. The PCB was also ordered to pay back the deducted fine amount.
Reliable PCB sources confirmed that the Board of governors at its meeting on Saturday had authorized chairman Shaharyar Khan to work out a compromise with Akhtar by offering to return four million instead of the seven million.
“The board of governors felt it was time the PCB had better relations with its senior and former players like Akhtar and should try to invite him for tea and have a talk with him,” one source said.
The PCB will return the favour by not pursuing the case in the Supreme court.
Shoaib has been very critical of the functioning of the PCB and has time and again presented his critique against the board highlighting its incompetence.
Another Press Trust of India source said that Shoaib now carried a clout in the media and PCB wanted to end this once and for all.
“It will be interesting to see what happens because the PCB is now ready to be happy with a fine of just three million rupees instead of seven million,” the source said.
“But Akhtar appears in a strong position since he has got the LHC decision in his favour.”
The story appeared originally on NDTV.
[…] Karachi News Sources […]
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