Akhtar banned for five years

[GIMH]

BBC source

Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has been banned for five years by the Pakistan Cricket Board following a disciplinary hearing in Rawalpindi.

More to follow

 

[Smudge]

Hasn't April Fools finished in the UK?

 

[Prince EWS]

April Fools IMO.

 

[Prince EWS]

Hasn't April Fools finished in the UK?

Got in before me. Damn you.

 

[GIMH]

Nah, they posted it at 13:07

edit maybe I've been whooshed here

 

[Nate]

Banned for a dodgy April Fools stunt IMO.

 

[Nate]

Seems more subdued.

 

[Smudge]

Nah, they posted it at 13:07

edit maybe I've been whooshed here

Nah, I don't think you have. It's just that you originally posted the thread with the sum total of "..." in the opening post. Hardly compelling evidence of said banning.

But now there's a link.

 

[GIMH]

Yeah, actually had to edit it 4 times I messed it up so much, LOL

Got a bit excited about being the one to break such a potential bombshell on CW

 

[GIMH]

From same link as original post:

The 32-year-old, who was on a two-year probabtion for attacking teammate Mohammad Asif with a bat, was charged with publicly criticising the PCB.

Chairman Nasif Ashraf said: "The board has lost confidence in Shoaib Akhtar.

"We therefore felt that his presence in the field was damaging to the team and the image of Pakistan cricket."

 

[GIMH]

Is it just me or is this a slight overreaction?

 

[pasag]

Five years for that? Jeez.

 

[silentstriker]

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23469730-5001023,00.html

 

[sideshowtim]

Is it just me or is this a slight overreaction?

I think this is the straw that broke the camel's back. Akhtar has been nothing but trouble for some time now.

 

[chalky]

Drug taking - A slap on the wrist & small ban.

Attack a teamate with a cricket bat - Reprimand & 2 year probation

Criticize the board in public - 5 year ban (effectively career ending).

Yeah a bit OTT for me

 

[silentstriker]

Is it just me or is this a slight overreaction?

Hah, attacking your teammate with a potentially deadly weapon?

 

[sideshowtim]

Five years for that? Jeez.

He was on probation. Commit a minor crime like shoplifting when you're on probation and you'll go away for a bit.

 

[sideshowtim]

He was on probation. Commit a minor crime like shoplifting when you're on probation and you'll go away for a bit.

Will sign for the ICL ASAP.

 

[Richard]

Still not totally conviced of the non-April-fools nature of this but if it is true, I reckon I give it 2 weeks until the U-turn.

If, by some miracle, it's not an April-fools, and there is no U-turn, it's probably for the best. Have said it many times - Shoaib's had more new-leaf-turn-overs than possibly any cricketer in history - some people are just hopleless cases, and he's been an extremely disruptive influence on Pakistan cricket (along with Shahid Afridi) for almost as long as I can remember. Extreme even by Pakistan cricket standards.

The sooner Pakistan are rid of him the better, really, for my money.

 

[GIMH]

Hah, attacking your teammate with a potentially deadly weapon?

From what I can see, the ban is for "publicly criticising the PCB". That's all of CW banned, then.

edit - Sorry, I see he was on probation, fair play, but still, ridiculous IMO