October 28, 2001	Sunday	Shaba'an 10, 1422

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KARACHI, Oct 27: Banned fast bowler Mohammad Akram Saturday filed an appeal against the one-season ban to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

An apologetic Akram, who has played nine Tests in six years, claimed he had left for England because of an unforeseen and unspecified emergency.

While admitting that he left the country without informing the management, he argued that he had proceeded before the announcement of the team for the Asian Test Championship game against Bangladesh and not two days after the team was named.

A spokesman of the PCB admitted that Akram’s apology had been received and would be forwarded to relevant quarters. However, it was not confirmed if his appeal against the ban would be entertained.

The PCB had clamped a one-season ban on Akram after finding his reply to the show-cause notice as “unsatisfactory”. He had been initially recommended a three-year ban.

The lanky Allied Bank bowler, in his appeal, alleged he had been victimized as the establishment used different yardsticks to tackle indiscipline.

Without mentioning the names of the players, he said: “There are many players in the team in the recent past who committed much more serious offences and had been breaking rules and regulations, yet no such action had been taken against them.

“Why me?” he inquires, adding: “I should also be treated equally, justly and fairly like the rest.

“I personally feel that the disciplinary committee cannot take such serious action against anyone else, and were waiting for someone who doesn’t have much backing to show authority.”

Akram pleaded that after reaching England from the first available flight, he had informed the PCB of the background of his sudden departure.

“I sincerely apologized (to the PCB) for not being able to inform them prior to my departure.

“I also made it very clear that I would not be able to participate in the Asian Test Championship Test against Bangladesh,” he maintains, adding: “I asked not to be considered for selection. This was said two days before the announcement of the team.”

Akram, while urging the PCB chairman to lift the ban, thanked him for “not letting the disciplinary committee put a three-year ban on my cricketing career, without any case hearing and without my presence in the decision.”