Shoaib to appeal 18-month ban

Bowler Shoaib Akhtar is set to appeal the ban handed to him © Getty Images

Pakistan paceman Shoaib Akhtar is planning to challenge the 18-month ban handed to him by an appeals tribunal.

Shoaib’s lawyer Abid Hasan Minto confirmed his client will appeal the ban, but had not yet decided the correct channel to go through.

“Shoaib feels the 18-month ban is still very harsh and unjustified given the reasons for his being banned,” said Minto.

“It will keep him out of international cricket. We have decided, in principle, to appeal. We could either appeal in the High Court or perhaps even before the tribunal.

“We will make a decision on where to appeal after going through the full decision.”

Shoaib was originally given a career-threatening five-year ban by the Pakistan Cricket Board for disciplinary reasons, but this was reduced by a three-member tribunal headed by Justice Aftab Farrukh, which also dished out a fine of 7 million rupees.

Justice Farrukh said the 18-month ban was handed out keeping the 32-year-old’s age and fitness in mind.

“We felt Shoaib had three years more in international cricket,” he said. “We have given him about half that time, while taking away the other half.

“He still has time to play for the country again.”

Justice Farrukh said Shoaib could appeal the verdict, but PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf suggested Shoaib could only appeal in court and that the decision of the tribunal was final.