JOHANNESBURG, Sept 7: Pakistan cricket experienced yet another blow, this time on eve of the inaugural Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa, when their team management sent Shoaib Akhtar home on Friday after the enigmatic paceman hit team-mate Mohammad Asif with a cricket bat, plunging the squad into fresh chaos.

A team source said that during a heated argument between the two players in the nets at their camp in Benoni, Shoaib had struck Asif on his thigh with a bat.

“It developed into a serious altercation and got out of control before the captain, manager and coach intervened,” said the source requesting anonymity.

Pakistan team management in South Africa confirmed the ugly incident.

“It was reported to us by Asif that Shoaib had hit him on his leg with a cricket bat and used abusive language,” team manager Talat Ali said. “After this, the team management investigated the incident and after recording the statements of both Asif and Shoaib, decided to send Shoaib back to Pakistan immediately,” he stated.

“The incident was also reported to the PCB Head Offices in Pakistan and the board management has endorsed this decision, he added.”

Meanwhile, Chief Operating Officer of the PCB Shafqat Naghmi said the board fully backed the team management’s decision.

“Shoaib will be returning on the first available flight,” he said. “A decision has been taken to call back Shoaib on the basis of an initial inquiry by the touring team management.”

Terming the incident as unfortunate, Naghmi insisted the PCB would not tolerate ill-discipline, adding that a full inquiry would be held when Shoaib returned to Pakistan.

“Shoaib has admitted hitting Asif,” he said. “Thankfully Asif didn’t suffer any major injury apart from a bruise on his left thigh and hopefully he would be fit for the tournament.”

Naghmi also said that a decision on Shoaib’s replacement will be made after consultation with the International Cricket Council (ICC), which is organising the Twenty20 World Championship.

The Pakistan team management in South Africa has the sent the PCB a request for Shoaib’s replacement.

The maverick Shoaib’s exit from the tournament is the first major challenge for new coach Geoff Lawson, the former Australian fast bowler who arrived here in August to coach the often fractious Pakistani team.

Pakistan are due to open the Twenty20 World Championship against Scotland in Durban on Sept 12 before facing arch-rivals India at the same venue two days later.

The Shoaib-Asif incident has been described as a ‘shameful episode’ by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf. Shocked by the unpleasant occurrence, Dr Nasim stated: “It is a shameful episode. For the time being we have supported the team management’s decision to send him (Shoaib) back but once the team returns home there will be a more detailed disciplinary hearing.”

The PCB chief did not rule out the possibility of Shoaib facing more disciplinary action including a possible long-term ban, adding that the board would not allow any player to violate team spirit. “We are giving a lot of importance to discipline and any player who violates the norms has to face the consequences,” Dr Nasim expressed.

In the meantime, Pakistan’s former Test paceman and National Cricket (NCA) Academy coach Aaqib Javed said the PCB should ban Shoaib for life.

“There must be a life ban imposed on him because this is an incident that has embarrassed all of us and is a black mark for our cricket community,” he said.

Former Test captain Aamir Sohail said the board had taken the right decision.

“Senior players have a responsibility in the team and what Shoaib did was sad. The incident needs to be investigated thoroughly.”

The 32-year-old Shoaib, who has taken 169 wickets in his 43 Tests, has been dogged by controversy and injury since making his debut for Pakistan 10 years ago. He was already on six weeks’ probation and had a 5,000-dollar fine suspended after being cleared last month of leaving a training camp in Karachi without informing Talat Ali.

Last year he and Asif were involved in a doping scandal when they tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone. Shoaib was banned for two years and Asif for one year, but the bans were overturned.

Shoaib missed the World Cup in the Caribbean due to a knee injury and his comeback was delayed after Pakistan’s two one-day matches against Scotland and India were washed out last month. He has played just four one-day matches and two Tests in the last 19 months.—Agencies