18 February 2005	Friday	08 Muharram 1426

LAHORE, Feb 17: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) disciplinary Committee on Thursday imposed $500 fine on controversial pace man Shoaib Akhtar after hearing the bowler on Thursday.

Committee secretary Asghar Haider read out the decision after hearing Shoaib Akhtar for 10 minutes.

The PCB has charged that Shoaib breached four conditions of the central contract, which included visiting a night club during Australian tour, reporting late at the National Cricket Academy after being recalled from the tour, having treatment from his private doctor instead of the PCB's and issuing press statement.

The case of Shoaib Akhtar was referred to the disciplinary committee by a three-member inquiry committee of Abbas Zaidi, Imtiaz Ahmad and Asghar Haider. The committee headed by a retired Justice Amir Alam Khan conducted the proceeding. "We have listended to Mr Shoaib Akhtar at length and have gone through the record placed before us.

"We are of the considered opinion that this is a case, at the most of in discipline. It seems that Mr Shoaib Akhtar has taken the Code of Conduct very lightly and has displayed erratic behaviour.

"We are also of the considered opinion that he should be reprimanded and fined for this in discipline and erratic behaviour to the tune of $500. "Having fined him, as stated, we expect that in future he will abide by Code of Conduct and behave," the decision stated.

Asghar said that the decision would have no bearing on Shoaib's selection for the Pakistan's tour of India, scheduled from Feb 25.