Shoaib fined for refusing to wear sponsors' logo

Shoaib Akhtar at the Pakistan board's conditioning camp on the day he was fined © AFP

Shoaib Akhtar once again attracted controversy when he was fined by the organisers of the Twenty20 Cup for refusing to wear a sponsors' logo during the event.

A Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official said on Tuesday that Shoaib was fined Rs10,000 after he flatly refused to wear the logo of Mobilink, which sponsored all the participating teams of the Twenty20 Cup held in Karachi from December 21 to 26.

Shoaib, still in danger of being banned for doping, was told by match referee Anwar Khan to wear the cellular company's logo when he featured in the Twenty20 Cup for the Rawalpindi Rams. He was told that all players have to wear the logo since the PCB has an agreement with the company. However, Shoaib refused, saying that he had no contract with the PCB and was not being paid by the board or the sponsors to do it.

Shoaib hid the logo on his T-shirt with a sticker and played two matches for the Rams who were bundled out of the competition at the first hurdle.

The PCB official said that after giving Shoaib repeated warnings, the event's officials decided to fine him.

Shoaib was not present to hear about the fine as was among 25 players invited by the PCB for a conditioning camp that got underway at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Tuesday in preparation for next month's tour of South Africa.