July 02, 2008	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 27, 1429

LAHORE, July 1: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Sayed Zahid Hussain has summoned Shoaib Akhtar on Friday to hear his petition challenging ban on playing and fine imposed by an appellate tribunal of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

The chief justice also issued a notice to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for Friday. On Tuesday, the PCB counsel appeared before the court and requested permission to place on record the evidence against Shoaib on the next date of hearing.

Shoaib’s counsel Abid Hasan Minto said the tribunal did not decide the case against Shoaib independently and relied upon two earlier orders by two different disciplinary committees of the PCB.

He pointed out that in October 2007 a disciplinary committee had imposed a ban of 13 matches and fine of Rs 4 million on the charges of hitting a fellow cricketer in South Africa.

He said the charges for which his client was penalized did not constitute any instance of breach of contract and act of indiscipline. “There was no penalty provided in board rules for the acts done by a cricketer,” he added.

He said the old constitution of the PCB stood repealed because a new constitution had been promulgated. “Since no rules and regulation has been framed under it, the board is functioning whimsically and not in accordance with any clear rules and policies and code of conduct,” he said.