PCB takes ICC head-on

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Friday took the International Cricket Council (ICC) head-on when it rejected the appointment of a specialist bowling adviser for Shoaib Akhtar.

The PCB, known for going all the way in defence of its players, further said it would provide complete legal assistance to Shoaib if a stage came when he was banned by the ICC and decided to challenge his suspension in a court of law.

"It is unfortunate that this stage came which should have been avoided particularly after Shoaib was twice cleared by the ICC. We will dispatch our reservations and protest to the ICC on the subject Saturday," chairman of the PCB Lt Gen Tauqir Zia said.

The ICC Thursday appointed former West Indian fast bowler Michael Holding to help Shoaib. The two will work for three months to analyze concerns raised by South African match referee Denis Lindsay during the recent Sharjah Cup and undergo any recommended remodelling of his action.

The progress report has to be submitted by Feb 7 to the ICC and the PCB. Shoaib, in the meantime, can continue to play in this period. However, if the pacer is reported again, he would be banned for a year. But the PCB supremo further said his establishment was not in a position to bear the expenses of Holding's three-month assignment.

"The ICC will also be informed that we cannot host Michael (Holding) for such a long period. But the West Indian is more than welcome in this part of the world anytime for we all have highest regards for him and acknowledge his contributions to the game of cricket," Tauqir said.

The cash-strapped PCB are facing financial crisis after it was denied the right to earn approximately $30million owing to cancellation of Indian and New Zealand tours this year for various reasons. To overcome the catastrophe, the PCB has started an austerity drive and has curtailed its expenses.

The PCB boss also pointed out ICC contradictions while dealing with cases relating to suspect bowling actions. He argued that if there was no doubts against Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan or Indian Harbhajan Singh, there was no logical reason to raise suspicion against Shoaib.

"Muralitharan has also been cleared by the same institute where we sent Shoaib. The institute submitted a detailed medical report which we sent to the ICC in May.

"There has to be a yardstick. If the ICC doesn't accept Shoaib's report, it should also reject Muralitharan's report because both have been cleared by an identical institute," the general said.

Muralitharan has not been called since 1995-96 whereas Shoaib has been reported for the third time since the Perth Test in Nov 1999. He was also reported by New Zealand umpires Doug Cowie and Steve Dunne during a One-day International in New Zealand earlier this year.

Australian Institute of Human Resources, Human movement department at Perth, in its investigations, revealed that Shoaib's bowling arm was deformed at birth giving an illusion of throwing - the same explanation it gave in Muralitharan's case.

"When the report has been submitted to the ICC, it should circulate the document to all its umpires and match referees. That would help in clarifying the ambiguity, if any, in the minds of the umpires and match referees against Shoaib," Tauqir said.

The PCB chairman said the ICC should have first spelt out if it accepted the medical report on Shoaib before appointing its bowling adviser to assist the paceman.

"We sent the report before and will be sending again so that the ICC can study it for the second time and give us the feed back if it is willing to accept it.

"Naturally, if the ICC accepts the report, then there stands no case against Shoaib but if it rejects, then I am afraid it might open Pandora's box and the ICC will be asked to explain why Muralitharan has not been called or reported."

Tauqir said if Shoaib decided to take legal action, the PCB would come into picture and will not back out irrespective of the expenditure and repercussions.

"Shoaib wanted to take legal action against the ICC but has been stopped from jumping the guns. But if he is banned, then the PCB will be left with no option but to support and back its player.

"Shoaib stands a very strong open and shut case and I am confident that this issue will be resolved amicably without going into legal procedures."

The general said Pakistan captain Waqar Younis had informed him before the final that the match referee had conveyed him that he would be reporting Shoaib's action to the ICC. Interestingly, team manager Yawar Saeed Tuesday said the team management was not taken into confidence by Lindsay.

"Waqar was told that until it was officially reported, the PCB cannot take any stand or come out in defence of Shoaib."