PCB to hear decision on Shoaib Akhtar

KARACHI: The legal counsel of the Pakistan Cricket Board is confident that the appellate tribunal, hearing the appeal of banned fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar will deliver its verdict on Saturday.

The tribunal is due to meet and deliberate in Lahore on Saturday as counsels for the Board and the beleaguered paceman concluded their arguments last week.

"The arguments have been completed and no fresh evidence or documentation has come from either side. Hopefully the tribunal can reach a decision on Saturday," Tafazzul Rizvi said on Friday.

"The Board for its part will accept any decision of the tribunal with an open heart and respect the judgement," he added.

The tribunal is hearing an appeal from Shoaib against the five-year ban imposed on him by the disciplinary committee of the PCB in March.

He was allowed to go and play in the Indian Premier League by the tribunal last month after the tribunal suspended his ban for one month.

Justice (retd) Aftab Farrukh, who heads the tribunal had said that the final decision might be delayed for a few days as there was no consensus among Tribunal members.

One of the three tribunal members, former Test player Hasib Ahsan did not attend the last hearing on June 8 due to illness but is expected to be present for on Saturday's hearing.

Sources close to the tribunal believe that Akhtar may get some reprieve although his ban would not be removed completely as he "might win him some sympathy after apologising to the tribunal and the Board for his behaviour".