PCB, Akhtar meet to settle long standing dispute

Top officials of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) today met Shoaib Akhtar in a bid to resolve the issue of the PCB having deducted seven million rupees from the former fast bowler's earnings as part of a fine imposed on him years ago.
A spokesman for the board confirmed that Akhtar had met with the chairman of the executive committee, Najam Sethi and some other top officials were present in the meeting at the Gaddafi Stadium.
"At this moment I don't know nor can give out details of the meeting," said the spokesman.
But a reliable source in the board told PTI that the meeting centered around Akhtar's relations with the board in the last few years and the fast bowler also minced no words in pointing out how previous set ups had not supported him.

"He had his list of grouses and the present cricket scenario was also discussed but the main focus was on the seven million rupee fine issue," the source said.
He said some of the board officials had also told Shoaib that he had been very harsh on Pakistan cricket in recent television appearances in Pakistan and India.

The PCB had in 2009 deducted the fine amount from Akhtar's annual earnings after an appellate tribunal of the PCB fined him on disciplinary grounds.
The appellate tribunal fined and banned Akhtar for 18 months for violating his contract and striking teammate Mohammad Asif with a bat before the World T20 in South Africa in 2007 and later on for criticising the Board and management.

But after the fast bowler filed a petition, the Lahore High Court (LHC) Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza in February this year set aside the seven million fine and the ban.
Justice Mirza also directed the Board to return the deducted fine amount.
The PCB deducted the entire amount from Akhtar's annual earnings, which included his central contract payments, match fees and win bonuses (from January 2009 to November 2009).
But at a recent Board of governors meeting members had authorised chairman Shaharyar Khan to work out a compromise with Akhtar by offering to return four million instead of the seven million.

They had also given mandate to the Chairman to invite Akhtar and try to see the PCB had better relations with its senior and former players like him.