October 10, 2007	Wednesday	Ramazan 27, 1428

LAHORE, Oct 9: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is likely to impose five ODIs ban on Shoaib Akhtar, in addition of dropping him from the World Twenty20 World championship and from the ongoing two Test match series against South Africa, on the the charge of hitting fellow fast bowler Mohammad Asif with cricket bat before the start of the Twenty20 mega event.

The decision is likely to be announced on Wednesday, the third day of the second Test between Pakistan and South Africa, as the home team struggles to avert a 2-0 clean sweep.

The disciplinary committee held an hearing last Saturday,in which it heard Asif, Shahid Afridi and team manager Talat Ali Malik.

Though the PCB disciplinary committee had decided that missing the World Twenty20 cup was enough penalty for Shoaib for striking Asif.

However, under clause 17 of the central contract, it was decided to ban him further, most probably for two Tests and five ODIs for tanishing the image of the game.

The committee had charged the speedster on three other counts, the first, being that of addressing a press conference after coming back from South Africa, and secondly criticising the PCB Anti-Doping committee decision of banning him for two years, in 2006 along with Asif (one-year).

The third allegation was of playing a charity match for Chris Lewis without official permission.