PCB to examine deal before Akhtar signs it

Karachi, Jan 17: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will get involved in the contract which Shoaib Akhtar signs with the English county Nottinghamshire.

The chairman of the PCB, Lt-Gen Tauqir Zia said that the PCB would like to examine the terms of the contract before allowing the paceman to sign it. "We want to protect our players from burnout. In county cricket, Shoaib will have to play non-stop for four to five months because the county would try to get the maximum mileage out of him. But that would increase injury risk and thus shorten his career," the general told Dawn at the National Stadium.

Shoaib is expected to sign a contract with Nottinghamshir for 125,000 pounds. He will be paid another 25,000 pounds if he captures 50 wickets or more in the English 2000 season.

The general said the PCB would like the English County to make some commitments before the bowler is released.

"Firstly, the county will have to give assurance that Shoaib will be released if required for national duty, secondly he will not be over-bowled in an innings or match, and thirdly he will get good rest between the games," the PCB chairman said.

The PCB chairman said he was keen to get Shoaib Akhtar cleared for Test matches before the Sri Lankans arrive here on Feb 5 for three Tests and as many one-day internationals.

He said he would request the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday to hold the teleconference earlier than the scheduled date of Feb 9-10 so that the issue is resolved as soon as possible and the bowler is mentally prepared for Tests.

Match Referee Cammie Smith is supervizing the preparation of the new video from the current tri-nation series which would be distributed among all the nine advisory panel members to examine if Shoaib really throws, he said.

The general recalled that the previous video showed the bowler bowling only express fast deliveries or bouncers. "The advisory panel was not allowed to see all the six balls of an over which they would be provided in the fresh clippings.