Action against Akhtar after scrutiny of statement: Butt

LAHORE - Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Ijaz Butt will decide whether or not to take a disciplinary action against Shoaib Akhtar for his recent statement in media regarding his omission from Pakistan's T20 World Cup squad. Butt told reporters after returning from Colombo that he would first examine Akhtar's statement and then decide whether it was tantamount to violation of the player's central contract. Akhtar, in an interview in a television show recently, said that he once thought about suing the Pakistan Cricket Board as well as the team management for attributing his omission from the Twenty20 World Cup squad to a genital infection, while it was actually a skin irritation. The 33-year-old tearaway pacer claimed it was a clear violation of his basic rights and he was put into an embarrassing position by the board. He also blamed the team management for giving a wrong impression about his medical condition and fitness while dropping him from the squad. The players who have central contracts with the PCB are not supposed to give controversial remarks in the media. Sources in the board said Butt would consult other officials before deciding whether Akhtar had again violated his contract. Akhtar has a history of disciplinary and fitness problems and has hardly played a handful of matches in the last two years. He was also not considered for last month's Sri Lanka but has insisted he is fit to play in the ODIs. In the interview, Akhtar also criticised former PCB Chairman Nasim Ashraf, terming him a "second grade person" and said all the previous heads of the board had done nothing but damaged Pakistan cricket. However, he showered praise on Butt and said he withdraw from his idea of suing the PCB only on the advice of the Chairman. Meanwhile, legal advisor of the PCB, Taffazzul Rizvi said the release of a medical report of any player was nothing unusual and had been done in the past. Akhtar had said he had a skin infection but a three-member medical panel of the PCB released a statement saying he was suffering from "genital viral warts" for which the bowler needed at least 12 days rest.

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