15 May 2004	Saturday	24 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

ISLAMABAD, May 14: Adopting a soft stance towards wayward speedster Shoaib Akhtar, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has said it would try to get the best out of the bowler and "develop an environment" in which he could perform to his potential.

PCB chief executive Rameez Raja said the board had realised that throwing Shoaib out of the team would serve no purpose and hence it would now work on getting the best out of the match-winning bowler.

"Sacking someone like Shoaib, who is our star bowler, won't solve the problem. What we have to do is to bring him on board and get the best out of him. It's a question of man-management," Raja said.

Certainly, he can do a lot more," PCB official was quoted as saying in reports emanating from Dubai on Friday.

"We need to develop an environment where he can perform to his potential. There will always be difficult individuals in the team, but we need to listen to them and guide them into becoming an asset for the country," he said while disagreeing that Shoaib was a spent force.

The PCB CEO also refused to blame the bowler for the defeats to India.-APP