Whoa Shoaib! Too much information

You might argue that transparency is King, and that the PCB has a tradition of being unnecessarily secretive. Unfortunately, Pakistan cricket also has a long history of damaging leaks and official gaffes.

Now, it isn't a great surprise that Shoaib Akhtar is once more unfit to play in a tournament that he has been selected for. It may not be a great surprise to some who have tut-tutted over Shoaib's lifestyle that he has picked up a dose of genital warts. Nonetheless, like every patient, Shoaib deserves his privacy and today's public announcement is way too much information.

It is hard not to draw the conclusion that the PCB's press release is clearly designed to cause Shoaib the maximum embarrassment. It is wrong to divulge personal medical information in this way and, unless it was done with Shoaib's consent, it is a breach of medical ethics. This is an embarrassing illness that should embarrass the PCB about its behaviour.