July 9, 2003	Wednesday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 8,1424

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KARACHI, July 8: A civil court in Lahore has summonsed express pacer Shoaib Akhtar to respond to a petition alleging statements he made about fellow cricketers tarnished Pakistani pride, officials said on Tuesday.

Shoaib has been summoned to appear on July 27 after a private citizen moved the petition, they said.

The 27-year old, famous for his verbal outbursts, told Britain’s Guardian newspaper: “Imagine if I was playing for Australia with Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie softening them up, then I come on, I’d have got more wickets than anyone ever, mate.”

He went on: “Because when I play for Pakistan, with Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis they are in decline. They were great but they’re not match-winning bowlers any more. So I have to make it all happen on my own.”

The petitioner said Shoaib’s remarks were an affront to Pakistani pride and that he should be punished.

Shoaib is unlikely to appear at the first hearing as he is currently playing for Durham in England.

He will also skip Pakistan’s home series against Bangladesh next month before returning home late September.

Shoaib, who recorded a second 100-miles per hour (160-kilometres per hour) bowl during Pakistan’s shambling first-round exit from the World Cup this year, was told to mind his off and on-field behaviour by cricket chief Tauqir Zia before Pakistan’s tour of Sri Lanka two months ago.

Despite that, Shoaib was suspended for two matches on charges of ball tampering during a tri-series in Sri Lanka. Since then he has kept a low profile.—AFP

Our Lahore Correspondent adds: Except pacer Shoaib Akhtar all other cricketers playing county cricket in England are available  for the August-September’s home series against Bangladesh.

Chief selector Aamir Sohail told Dawn on Tuesday that only Shoaib had got himself relieved for that tour.

When asked as the county cricket season will end in September and how the remaining four players playing in England got themselves relieved to play the series against Bangladesh, Aamir said that it was not a problem because PCB could recall any player at any time.

Four others cricketers Shoaib Malik (Gloucestershire), Abdul Razzaq (Middlesex), Muhammad Sami (Kent) and Azhar Mahmood (Surrey) are playing county cricket in England.

Aamir said his selection committee did not touch the affairs of selecting the team for the series against Bangladesh and its first priority was to finalise Pakistan Junior team for the next month Sri Lankan tour.

Aamir said after selecting the junior team for Sri Lanka, the selection committee would announce the names of 35 students  for the National Academy to be started from the third week of  July. He said that the names of students had almost been finalised.