August 24, 2007	Friday	Sha’aban 10, 1428

LAHORE, Aug 23: Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar was exonerated on Thursday from an act of indiscipline after being given a warning not to breach the code of conduct for the next six weeks.

According to the rules and regulations of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)’s central contract, failure to do so would automatically result in the imposing of the penalty on him.

The decision was taken by manager Talat Ali after holding a fresh hearing in the case, which lasted one and half hour, and was also attended by Pakistan skipper Shoaib Malik, who served as a witness.

The fresh hearing was held on the orders of the PCB Appellate Tribunal, headed by Mueen Afzal, which set aside the previous punishment of paying a Rs100,000 fine, raised later to Rs300,000 by the PCB disciplinary committee after Shoaib’s failing to appear before it. In his appeal, the bowler had raised the objection that he did not receive the notice summoning him to face a disciplinary committee on time.

Speaking about his decision to exonerate the bowler after giving him a warning, Talat told Dawn that he only did it after “Shoaib Akhtar had explained that the entire incident was the result of miscommunication.”

The fast bowler was faced with the charge of skipping training camp in Karachi on Aug 4 without informing the manager. However, the bowler maintained that he only left after informing Shoaib Malik.