LAHORE, Oct 18: ICC Match Referee, Clive Lloyd, has slapped a ban of one Test and two One-day Internationals on Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) favourite but controversial paceman Shoaib Akhar on Saturday after he was judged guilty of breaching the ICC’s Code of Conduct.
A press release issued by ICC says a charge was brought by South Africa’s team management after an incident involving Shoaib and Paul Adams towards the end of the first day of the first Test in Lahore on Friday.
“Shoaib was found guilty of using language that was obscene, offensive or of a generally insulting nature to another player (CC 2.9 of the Code) in a hearing with ICC Match Referee, Clive Lloyd.
“The penalty for a Level 2 breach of the Code is usually a maximum of one Test or two ODIs but as this is Shoaib’s second breach of CC 2.9 within the last 12 months the punishment is upgraded to that of a Level 3 offence”, the press release stated.
Shoaib’s earlier breach of CC 2.9 was for making an obscene gesture to the crowd in the fifth ODI in Zimbabwe in December 2002. A Level 3 offence carries an automatic penalty of between two and four Tests or four and eight ODIs.
However, Lloyd might have shown leniency for Shoaib as he charged him under Level 3 but awarded punishment under Level 2.
As Pakistan team management has lodged an appeal against the punishment to ICC, there are chances of an even more severe punishment for Shoaib under Level 3.
“This incident was unnecessary and unacceptable,” said Lloyd while announcing his decision.
“I have been very disappointed with the behaviour of both teams during this series and I would urge the coaches, captains and managers to get their players together and remind them of the importance of playing in a professional manner.
“Cricket is a noble game based on honesty, integrity and fair play and if the players cannot comprehend this they should not be playing the game,” he said.
Meanwhie Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) ad hoc committee chairman, Tauqir Zia, has said that the ban imposed on Shoaib Akhtar by Match Referee Clive Lloyd was too severe.
The chairman agreed that Lloyd was a very good referee but he night have announced the penalty for Shoaib only to give some satisfaction to South African who lost their captain Graeme Smith for the crunch fifth ODI and pacer Andrew Hall for two Tests and one ODI.
Tauqir said that Shoaib was his key player and the PCB would take all steps to support him.
APP adds: Pakistan cricket team manager Haroon Rasheed on Saturday filed an appeal with the International Cricket Council (ICC) against one-Test and two-ODIs ban imposed by Match Referee Clive Llyod on Pakistan’s ace speedster Shoaib Akhtar.
“The appeal has been filed because we believe we have a strong case”, Haroon said in a brief statement.
About Shoaib’s penalty, a PCB spokesman said, “We are disappointed with the decision and even surprised that the incident has been played up”.
“The appeal has been submitted with video footage. I think there have been more serious offences in this series which have gone unnoticed”, the PCB spokesman added.
Officials said Pakistan will also be submitting video footage of Andrew Nel’s behaviour during the fourth and fifth one-day internationals at Rawalpindi.
The officials said Nel’s behavior and gestures were of a more serious nature than Shoaib’s. They had not even been picked by the stump microphones. Comparatively, Shoaib was more than a dozen yards away from the batsman.