PCB takes legal help to recover fine from Shoaib

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has sought legal help to recover the seven million rupees fine from Shoaib Akhtar, who was penalised for violating the code of conduct for players.

Following this development, board's legal advisor Shan Gul has recommended deducting the amount in installments from Shaoib's monthly salary.

"Gul has recommended that the fine be recovered in installments from Shoaib's monthly retainer," one source told PTI.

Shoaib is in category A of the central contracts and gets rupees 2,50,000 a month by the board as retainer-ship besides match fees and other perks.

The fast bowler was banned for 18 months and fined seven million rupees by an appellate tribunal headed by a former judge of the Lahore High Court last year in June.

The tribunal gave its decision after hearing an appeal from Shoaib against a five-year ban recommended on him by the disciplinary committee of the board for violating a two-year probation period last year in March and for other violations of the players code of conduct.

But Shoaib has appealed against the 18-month ban and fine in the Lahore High Court which for the time being has suspended his ban, allowing him to play for Pakistan. But the board is adamant that the fast bowler should pay the fine as the court hasn't said anything on this.

"Recently Wasim Bari, the director of human resources asked for legal opinion how the fine should be recovered from Shoaib," the source said.

He said the lawyer recommended deducting monthly installments as recovery was not possible through any other means.

Shoaib is presently in Dubai preparing for the one-day series against Australia and is back in the news with a statement appearing in today's newspapers insisting he can't guarantee whether he can last out the series against Australia.

The fast bowler has said he had made his way back into the Pakistan team after passing a rigorous fitness test but neither he nor any other player can guarantee he will not become unfit.

"I can give no guarantees I will complete this series without any fitness problems, that is not possible. But yes I realise this series is very important for it is a comeback series for me and I will do my best to perform for my team," Shoaib said.