Akhtar back to square one

Justice retd Aftab Farrukh, who headed the appellate tribunal, said that the ban stayed because Akhtar didn8217;t try to reform himself.

8220;Basically, he has not tried to reform himself and has continued to violate discipline. That is the view of the tribunal so the ban stays. This is also the order of the disciplinary committee of the Board that he can8217;t play for or anywhere in Pakistan domestically or internationally. But there is no bar on him playing anywhere else in the world,8221; Farrukh told reporters in Lahore.

The rationale behind giving Akhtar the IPL leeway was given by PCB8217;s legal counsel Tafazzul Rizvi. He expressed that despite punishing Akhtar, the PCB was ready to give the bowler the right to earn his livelihood.

Farrukh said that the tribunal had taken this interim decision in view of the unconditional apology submitted by Akhtar last Monday. The tribunal will now resume proceedings against the banned fast bowler in June this year.

Akhtar had appealed against the five-year ban imposed on him by the PCB for breaching the ICC players8217; code of conduct by criticising the Board in the media when he was already serving the probation period.