Pakistan Sports Minister Khawaja Asif came out in support of pacer Shoaib Akhtar, saying the Cricket Board should reconsider its decision of imposing a five-year ban on the maverick bowler as the "harsh" punishment would be "unacceptable to the nation".In an interview with the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), Asif said the Pakistan Cricket Board's move would not go down well with the team either which "needs Shoaib's services". "This decision of PCB would develop breaches within the team which would ultimately harm cricket," Asif said. Asif lashed out at the PCB for causing "multifarious problems" for the country's cricket. "Cricket players are suffering adversely, as a result of which the national cricket team is facing multifarious problems and many outstanding players have already left the team," he said.
