Pay fine or miss tour, PCB tells Shoaib

Shoaib Akhtar could be left out of Pakistan's preliminary squad for the Champions Trophy despite being cleared to play by the Lahore High Court as the maverick pacer has not yet paid the fine imposed on him for disciplinary violations.

Shoaib has been told by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to pay by tomorrow the fine of Rs seven million imposed on him by the appellate tribunal that reduced his original ban of five years to 18 months last month.

The 18-month ban has been suspended by the Lahore High Court but the fine remains which Shoaib has not paid as yet.

"We have sent the notice directly to him and if he does not agree to pay the fine then we might not consider him for the Champions Trophy preliminary list (to be announced tomorrow)," a senior board official said.

Shoaib himself has been untraceable and his legal counsel Abid Hasan Minto said the fast bowler has not contacted him for consultations on whether to pay the fine or not.
"Nor have we received any copy of the notice by the board," he said.

The names of Shoaib and Mohammad Asif were included in the preliminary list by the national selectors last week but the board put its foot down and asked the selectors to come down to Lahore for further discussions.