A Pakistani court on Friday adjourned an appeal by retired international paceman Shoaib Akhtar against a record seven million rupee ($82,400) disciplinary fine imposed on him three years ago. The 35-year-old, who retired from international cricket after Pakistan's World Cup semi-final defeat in March, had appealed against the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) decision to fine him in June 2008.
PCB legal adviser Taffazul Rizvi said the court had sought a detailed reply on the matter. "Akhtar's lawyer had pleaded that the fine imposed ended after a new PCB set-up took over in October 2008, but our stance is that there is no vacuum in the law and the fine still holds," Rizvi told AFP. Lahore high court judge Azmat Saeed adjourned the meeting until September 27, Rizvi said. The PCB last year deducted the record fine from Akhtar's dues.
Akhtar was banned in April 2008 for five years after several disciplinary incidents and for violating the conditions of a two-year probation period imposed for hitting a team-mate with a bat. The ban came after Akhtar publicly criticised the PCB for dropping him from a list of 15 players who were given central contracts. His suspension was later reduced to 18 months, and although the fine was imposed, he was allowed to play international cricket.
In October 2007 Akhtar was banned for 13 matches and fined 3.4 million rupees for hitting teammate Mohammad Asif with a bat just days before the Twenty20 World Cup in September in South Africa. The mercurial fast bowler's 14-year career was riddled with injury and disciplinary problems but he is still widely recognised as one of the best fast bowlers of his generation.
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