LAHORE, Feb 4: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has charged controversial pace man Shoaib Akhtar with breaching of central contract and instructed him to give reply till Monday.

The PCB chairman Shaharyar M Khan told journalists after a meeting with Shoaib at the board's headquarters on Friday. The move raises doubts if Shoaib will be included in the Pakistan team touring India from Feb 25.

The chairman said that he had made it clear to Shoaib that he had violated at least four conditions of the central contract during the Australian tour. Interestingly, the central contract was signed for the first time, days before the team left for the ongoing Australian tour.

Shoaib was placed in the "B" category after Inzamamul Haq and Yousuf Youhana were only two players included in "A". But on protest Shoaib managed to get "A" category. "I don't want to take an unilateral decision and gave a fair chance to Shoaib to explain his position on the charges by Monday," the chairman said.

Explaining the charges the chairman says, "Shoaib will explain his position regarding the incident of visiting night club in Australia, why he reported late in the National Cricket Academy after being recalled from Australia, why he opted to take medical treatment from his private doctor Tauseef Razzaq instead of an official one at the academy and in last why he had been issuing press statement."

He said that to make all the proceedings crystal clear he would not take any decision but he had appointed a three-member committee to deal with. Former Test wicket keeper Imtiaz Ahmed, PCB official Abbas Zaidi and a PCB legal adviser were included in the committee, he said.

Later, the PCB issued a press statement according to which: "Chairman PCB summoned Shoaib Akhtar to his office and had a hard talk with him on ground regarding his attitude and conduct during Pakistan team tour of Australia.

"The chairman told Shoaib to explain his conduct in writing by Monday. "Chairman told Shoaib that unless he was fully fit he would not be considered candidate for the selection of Indian tour.

"No further press statement would be given on the subject by Shoaib or the PCB." PCB had already challenged the integrity of Shoaib by appointing a medical commission to probe if he was genuine unfit during the last Test of home series against India at Rawalpindi in year 2004.

Later, that commission declared that Shoaib was genuinely unfit. Shoaib did not sue the board. Shoaib was forced to return home and miss the tri-series in Australia after suffering from hamstring problems.