Shoaib files petition to overturn ban

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Unwilling to accept even a reduced 18-month ban, maverick fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has filed a writ petition before the Lahore High Court contesting the original five-year ban imposed on him by the Pakistan Cricket Board.

A PCB-appointed Appellate Tribunal had reduced the original five-year ban to 18 months, besides being fined seven million rupees earlier this month, but Akhtar was not happy with the tribunal verdict and has now approached the Lahore High Court seeking to overturn the original ban itself.

"We feel the decision of the PCB in the first place to ban him for five years was illegal and unjustified," Akhtar's lawyer Bilal Minto said on Monday.

"We believe the fast bowler is being prevented from playing cricket for his country by an illegal decision of the board. The ban itself is very harsh. We are contesting the entire ban itself," he added.

The Appellate Tribunal headed by Justice (retd) Aftab Farrukh had found the five-year ban by the disciplinary committee of the board very harsh and reduced it to 18 months after the fast bowler appealed to them.

The tribunal had also suspended his ban for one month in May to allow him play in the Indian Premier League for the Kolkata Knight Riders.

Akhtar said he was contesting the ban because cricket was his livelihood and he was being prevented from playing for Pakistan.

"I want to play for Pakistan as soon as possible. I was disappointed with the tribunal's decision on my appeal."