February 15, 2008	Friday	Safar 07, 1429

LAHORE, Feb 14: Speedster Shoaib Akhtar on Thursday said he may not play any more matches in the ongoing Pentangular Cup due to personal reasons.

”I am busy in my sister’s wedding, therefore, at the moment I am not available for any more matches and not sure if I will be free for the last match of the Cup also,” said Shoaib who is once again at the loggerheads with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over a number of issues.The Rawalpindi player led the Federal Areas outfit in the opening match of the Pentangular Cup against Punjab which ended in a draw at Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday.

The next round is to start from Feb 22 after the general elections in the country on Feb 18.

PCB had already served a notice on Shoaib, asking him to explain his position for criticising the board in the press last week. Shoaib, however, has declined to give any reply to the notice, saying he is no more a PCB-contracted player and is not bound by the rules of the board.

Shoaib, who sent down 18 overs in the match in short spells, also dubbed the Pentangular Cup as a B-grade tournament, alleging the rejected kookaburra balls were being used and that had caused injuries to two bowlers - Wahab Riaz and Mohammad Khalil – this week.

Shoaib himself remained wicketless on a pitch where nearly 1400 runs were scored in four days and almost all bowlers faced the wrath of the batsmen who plundered four centuries and six half-centuries.

Shoaib had also complained of poor facilities for players in the match.