By IANS
Karachi : Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar Wednesday vowed to go to a court of law if the Pakistan Board (PCB) did not overturn the five-year ban imposed on him a disciplinary committee of the board.
The fast bowler, 32, was banned Tuesday from playing international as well as domestic cricket for publicly criticising the PCB and he is going in an appeal against the punishment.
“If my appeal is rejected by the PCB, I will go to the High Court and Supreme Court for justice,” Shoaib said.
Hitting out at the PCB’s vindictive attitude, Shoaib said he could not understand why he was being treated so harshly. “I haven’t murdered anyone, then why this harsh penalty?”
Shoaib feels he had been made the scapegoat for Pakistan’s defeat in both the Tests and the One-Dayers in India last year.
Narrating the sequence of events that will clearly point to him being singled out for punishment, Shoaib said it all started with the PCB refusing to bring him under the 15 central contracts and then offering him a special retainership, which he had refused.
Shoaib said he had been victimised and he had a right to know what were the grounds on which the disciplinary committee recommended the ban.
“I will file the appeal in the next couple of days, following the PCB procedure,” he added.
Shoaib received support from former skippers Imran Khan and Zaheer Abbas, who felt that the PCB treated him shabbily, but another former captain and PCB chief executive Rameez Raja said the temperamental fast bowler had asked for it as he should realise that no-one was bigger than the game.
Imran said that if the ban is carried out then it would end Shoaib’s career and that’s not on.
“The board must keep in mind that we also need to win matches and keep our pride in international cricket,” said the World Cup winning captain.
Zaheer said the PCB move would weaken the national team. “He is a match-winner and the team should take advantage of his bowling, more so when he was left with only two or three years of cricket left.”