Shoaib Akhtar's troubled career has taken yet another twist following a decision by the Pakistan board to send him back from Pakistan's 15-man squad for the ICC World Twenty20 after a dressing-room scuffle in which he was alleged to have hit fellow fast bowler Mohammad Asif with a bat.
In a press release, Talat Ali, the Pakistan manager, who is currently with the team in Johannesburg, said, "The decision has been taken on an incident that took place yesterday [6th September] afternoon at the Centurion Park after the practice session of the Pakistan team. It was reported to us by Asif that Shoaib had hit him on his leg with a bat and abused him."
"The tour management committee made us aware of the incident last night and conducted an immediate inquiry into the event," Nasim Ashraf, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), told Cricinfo. "They got their facts and decided Shoaib had to be sent back for allegedly hitting Mohammad Asif with a bat. The board was informed of the decision and we have approved it."
Further action against Shoaib has not been ruled out once he returns. The bowler was already on six weeks' probation following a breach of discipline last month after he left a training camp in Karachi without informing officials. Two hearings were held, after which it was decided that a monetary fine would be suspended pending his behaviour. Ashraf indicated that action would be likely.
"When the team management returns [from the tournament], the board will launch a full investigation and disciplinary hearing into the matter. Further action based on that is likely," Ashraf said.
The sorry development means that Pakistan finds itself in the spotlight at a major international tournament once again for all the wrong reasons. Shoaib and Asif were sent back on the eve of their opening match at the ICC Champions Trophy last year, after they had tested positive for banned anabolic steroids. During the World Cup in March, Pakistan's disastrous performance took backstage to the death of Bob Woolmer.
The decision will be a blow to the team's chances at the tournament, as Pakistan's strength was widely considered to lie in a pace attack that included Umar Gul and Rao Iftikhar Anjum. No decision has been taken yet on a replacement though initial reports suggest Mohammad Sami may be called up. In any case, a replacement will also depend on approval from the ICC's technical committee. The Participating Nations' Agreement, which every team signs when taking part in ICC tournaments, refers to the replacement of players and there is provision for a player to be replaced for reasons other than injury: "Except for medical grounds, players may only be replaced in exceptional circumstances such as family bereavement or where a player is suspended and such suspension relates to an incident which is unrelated to the Event."
"It is a very sad situation and is a blow not only to the team, but also to the image of the nation," Ashraf admitted.
Though it is too early to say just yet, Shoaib's future must look extremely bleak after this latest incident. He has played just one day of Test cricket and a handful of ODIs since January 2006, missing out through a combination of injuries and the doping scandal. This is merely the latest in a long line of controversies to have dogged his career.
Shoaib Akhtar has blamed Pakistan allrounder Shahid Afridi for the spat that led to him hitting fast bowler Mohammad Asif with a bat during Pakistan's build-up to the ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa. On his return home today after being thrown out of the squad, Shoaib apologised for his actions and said the matter should have stayed in the dressing room.
Shoaib, who has been handed an indefinite ban for the scuffle two days ago, said he didn't mean to hit Asif, whom he described as a younger brother. "I apologised to Asif and he forgave me but another team-mate, Afridi, took the matter further and it forced the management to send me back," Akhtar said.
"The incident began with a verbal spat between me and Afridi, who used foul language," Akhtar said, "and Asif intervened and in anger I hit Asif with a bat."
"Afridi said things about my family which I could not tolerate. He made comments that cannot be called jokes. I am sorry for what happened and it should not have happened. I request the authorities not to ban me for a lengthy period. I want to play for my country and talk of a life ban or lengthy ban is worrying."
Afridi, however, denied that he had provoked Shoaib and was surprised at the accusations.
"I can't say much because I am bound by the central contract," Afridi told PTI. "But it is fact that Shoaib has been facing one problem or the other in the last two years and he is frustrated. I have had a good relationship with him so I don't know why he has targeted me. But he is lying and it would be better if everyone asked Asif what happened. I know Asif could have suffered more injuries if I had not stepped in."
Akhtar also criticised the media for blowing the incident out of proportion and making him a "villain". "The matter got blown up. The media has contributed to the whole controversy. There is a lobby which has always been trying to malign me by selling negative news about me. I request you all to stop doing that. Stop spreading false propaganda against me, stop selling my name in the name of news."
The main theme, though, was contrition. "If Pakistan lose [in the ICC World Twenty20] because of bowling, I will never be able to forgive myself." Shoaib also reiterated his commitment for the Pakistan team and said, "I have played with passion for Pakistan. It means something to me. I have turned down a lucrative contract with the ICL [Indian Cricket League]."
However, Pakistan board official Shafqat Naghmi said Akhtar would face a disciplinary committee hearing very soon. "Akhtar is suspended indefinitely until a disciplinary committee meeting. He is also issued a notice to explain his comments against a doping tribunal."
Pakistan's president, General Pervez Musharraf, who is also the PCB's patron-in-chief, reportedly directed the board to take strict action against Akhtar. "President Musharraf directed PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf to take strict action against Akhtar as the quarrel between him and Asif gave a bad name to Pakistan," private channel Geo reported.
Pakistan have asked the ICC to approve the uncapped allrounder Sohail Tanveer as the replacement for Akhtar. Their first game of the ICC World Twenty20 is against Scotland on Wednesday.
Bazigaar
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i honestly think ban him for life, i mean he is no use to pak anymore...he hardly plays anything...either he is injured, banned or out of forum...bas enough is enough..bring new talent now
Bazigaar
Age: 124
8285 days old here
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Attack not accidental - Asif
Shoaib Akhtar seems to have slipped into further trouble with the Pakistan Cricket Board after Mohammad Asif, who was injured in a dressing room altercation involving Shoaib, rejected his version of the story about the event being accidental. Shoaib, who was sent back from South Africa following the spat which left Asif with an injured thigh, had accused Shahid Afridi for provoking him.
"Afridi had nothing to do with the fight. The fact is that Shoaib did strike me with the bat over a little issue and got enraged for no valid reason," Asif told the Express, an Urdu daily. "He [Shoaib] has not apologised to me. In fact he should apologise first to the entire nation for what he has done."
Narrating his version of the events, Asif said: "Afridi was trying to make Shoaib understand that he needs to change his attitude towards junior players and communicate more with them. He told Shoaib that juniors were wary of him. At this point I also came out of the washroom and Shahid asked to me to tell Shoaib what the junior players feel about him. I just smiled and he then hit me with the bat. It was Shahid who intervened and separated us."
Shoaib, in a press conference organised after his arrival in Lahore, had apologised for his actions after claiming that Afridi's use of foul language against his family had led to him hitting Asif by accident. Afridi had denied Shoaib's claims.
The PCB, in its initial inquiry, held Shoaib responsible and decided to send him back to Pakistan as well as placing an indefinite ban on him until the team returned from South Africa and a proper inquiry took place.
sunati hai keh hansi he na roooke 
