PCB empowered to decide Shoaib's Test ban: Tauqir

Karachi, Feb 13: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been empowered by the game's governing body to decide itself if the bowling action of Shoaib Akhtar was legal or illegal, Lt-Gen Tauqir Zia told reporters at the National Stadium on Sunday.

"As far as the International Cricket Council (ICC) is concerned, the Test ban on Shoaib Akhtar has been removed," the general said.

The general denied impressions that the PCB will have to send fresh video tapes to the advisory panel to seek its views and approval on the speedster who was banned from international cricket because of a suspected bowling action.

The general also dismissed reports that the ICC would see Shoaib's bowling action before Feb 26 before deciding whether to allow him to play in the Test series starting at Rawalpindi.

"He is cleared as far as the ICC is concerned. The ICC said that it was referring the case back to PCB.

"Now if the PCB feels that it is satisfied with Shoaib's bowling action, the board just needs to inform the ICC and field him in Tests," Lt-Gen Tauqir clarified in an emphatic tone.

He added: "My understanding with the ICC is that if Pakistan thinks that Shoaib's action is alright, he is cleared to play."

The general said Pakistan is already convinced that Shoaib's bowling action is absolutely legal and added that whatever remedial measures were to be done out have already been carried out.

Lt-Gen Tauqir Zia stressed that if he today says that Shoaib Akhtar is cleared, then he is ready to play.

"I will say it after I feel that it. Now since the whole case is in my court, therefore, I would like to be cent percent sure that whatever I say is the truth.

"I have got the video footage of his bowling action from Perth and his action looks absolutely perfect," he said.

He said Pakistan was not planning to dispatch a fresh video footage of Shoaib's bowling action to the ICC. "I just have to give the ICC my understanding that he has a legal bowling action and that's it. My assurance to the ICC is enough for him to play in Tests."

The general agreed that the umpires can still call him for throwing but said there was a clause in the law book that the umpire will first have to caution him, then give him a final warning before calling him.

"In Shoaib's case, this law was not followed. Secondly, the panel never had the powers to suspend Shoaib, and thirdly, the panel was given video footage of specific deliveries only and that too not in normal speed which was an essential requirement. Therefore, from the law and justice point of view, we got hold of all this and managed to get the pacer cleared."

The general said the ICC were reviewing its nine-man advisory panel. He said there were many legal anomalies and lacunas which the ICC is trying to complete and may take a long time.

He said Pakistan has suggested to the ICC that the advisory panel was too large. He said it has been recommended that the panel should be of three to four former fast bowlers with an odd batsman.

"We have also shown our apprehension on this panel that since it has gone public and also because Mr John Reid was a complainant and was also sitting on the judgement, therefore, we thought that the ICC should reform the panel."

Shoaib fined: While Lt-Gen Tauqir managed to get the ban on the pacer reversed, he indicated that there will be no compromises on discipline when he imposed a cash fine of Rs 200,000 for breach of players code of conduct.

Shoaib was earlier banned for a one-day international after he was found guilty of night out on the even of the second final at Sydney earlier this month.

Betting and match-fixing: The general said the issue of betting and match-fixing came up for discussion in Singapore and as an obligation, Pakistan has to submit its findings to the ICC.

"We were shown the reports that have been submitted by India and Australia. There was nothing in them which means the players of the two countries have been exonerated," he said.

The inquiry in India was conducted by a retired Judge after former allrounder Manoj Prabhakar made allegations against his team-mates. The Australian Cricket Board (ACB) carried out their own in-house investigations in the backdrop of its two players admitting taking money from an Indian bookmaker in Colombo in 1994-95.

Interestingly, Shane Warne and Mark Waugh were fined A$5,000 and A$8,000 in December 1994 by the ACB when they admitted that they took money to pass on `weather and pitch' information.

"After India and Australia have submitted their findings to the ICC, it's now an obligation on Pakistan's part to submit their investigations.

"As soon as I get the report from the president or ministry of sports or whosoever has it, it will be immediately dispatched to the ICC," the general said in a firm tone.

The general said he will go through the report first and see if there is any involvement of the players, what is the nature of involvement.

The PCB chief, however, said he would not go for a reinvestigation. "I don't think I should go for reinvestigation of the case because the statement of more than 50 witnesses were recorded. I think this is probably the best Justice Qayyum must have done."