KARACHI, Dec 9: The Pakistan Cricket Board has decided to take the International Cricket Council (ICC) head-on over express pacer Shoaib Akhtar’s bowling action which was questioned last month, sources said Sunday.

“The PCB sent a strong-worded letter to the ICC Saturday in which it argued that since Shoaib has been cleared medically by the Western Australian University, he should be handled as special case,” the sources said.

The PCB has asked the ICC to consider the medical report or invoke Stage 3 in Shoaib Akhtar’s case directly, as calling in Michael Holding for the Stage 2 would be of no use, the sources said.

“The PCB has also requested the ICC to set up a medical board during the Stage 3 and re-examine Shoaib on the basis of his abnormality in the right arm,” the sources said.

Shoaib’s bowling action was questioned for the third time since 1999 when the umpires suspected his bowling action during the three-nation tournament in Sharjah this October. The ICC directed the PCB to invite former West Indian Michael Holding as part of Stage 2 of its process on dealing bowlers with illegal action.

However, if ICC invoked Stage 3 and Shoaib is reported after that, he would be barred from playing international cricket for 12 months.

“Akhtar has a very genuine case of physical abnormality, his case should be treated as such and on the pattern of Muttiah Muralitharan who was also cleared by the WA University,” the letter demands.

“Experts from the WA University have cleared Akhtar on medical grounds, just like they did with Muralitharan. Since Muralitharan is treated, we want Akhtar to be treated accordingly,” the letter said.

“We have no objection in inviting Holding to invoke Stage 2, but his presence will hardly make any difference. It would just be a waste of time and money if we invite him at this stage.”

The ICC had rejected the PCB’s claims that Shoaib should be treated as a special case last month and had set Feb 22 as the deadline to complete Stage 2.

The fast bowler is currently playing club cricket in Sydney.—SADA