April 02, 2008	Wednesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 24, 1429

LAHORE, April 1: While holding the pace bowler partly responsible, cricket legend Javed Miandad has sympathised with Shoaib Akhtar who the former Test captain feels has been penalised harshly by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for indiscipline on Tuesday.

Earlier on Tuesday, PCB disciplinary committee, headed by Munir Hafeez, announced a five-year ban on Shoaib for criticising the PCB policies in the media.

“I feel sorry for Shoaib but it is also true he has been involved in so many disciplinary cases.

“However, I would like to add here that it is the result of the PCB’s leniency towards Shoaib’s blunders he did in the past. But now his (latest) offence is not that grave as several Pakistan Test cricketers in the past have done this type of wrong acts repeatedly and got away with those,” Miandad told Dawn.

“Why is the PCB now disclosing the facts and figures of Shoaib’s matches he has played in the last two years? Why was any strict action not taken against him at that time when he was involved in major incidents of indiscipline?” he asked.

“In fact, it is the result of PCB’s dual policies of the past giving the bowler chances despite his indiscipline just to make him available to win matches for Pakistan, and to strengthen their places in the board,” Miandad expressed.

“I don’t want to mention the names of those Test cricketers who have been criticising the PCB policies publicly. However, the board has adopted different policies against them,” he added.

Miandad also criticised the PCB chief Dr Nasim Ashraf for announcing the (concerning Shoaib) decision himself.

“The prestigious post of the PCB chairman demands respect and I think the disciplinary body chief should have announced the decision to explain the pros and cons of the case,” he noted.

Meanwhile, former captain Imran Khan, in an interview to a private TV channel, also slammed the PCB decision on Shoaib.

“The punishment shows as if Shoaib has murdered someone. No court of law can endorse this decision,” Imran said.