Shoaib's ban reduced to 18 months

The Appellate tribunal, legal counsel of the Pakistan Cricket Board, reduced the ban imposed on controversial paceman Shoaib Akhtar to 18 months and fined him for Rs. 7 lakh.
The tribunal was hearing an appeal from Shoaib against the five-year ban slapped on him by the disciplinary committee of the PCB in March. The verdict was delivered in Lahore on Saturday.
He was allowed to play in the Indian Premier League after the tribunal suspended his ban for one month.

The 'Rawalpindi Express' was earlier banned for five years for violating code of conduct while under probation period.
Last year, Shoaib was banned for 13 international matches and fined Rs. 3.4 million ($120,300) for four breaches of discipline including striking team mate Mohammad Asif with a bat before Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa and put on two-year probation.

Source: www.rediff.com

Sohail Khan replaces Asif in tri-series squad

June 4, 2008, Sohail Khan has replaced Mohammad Asif in Pakistan's 16-man squad for the upcoming tri-series in Bangladesh, which will involve the hosts and India. The series is due to begin from June 8.

Asif was originally selected in the squad on Sunday, the very day he was detained at Dubai airport for suspected possession of an illegal item. It is unlikely now that Asif will be back in time to play in the tournament. Selectors told Cricinfo that they were not aware of Asif's situation when they picked the squad.

Khan has had an impressive first-class season, picking up a Pakistan record 91 wickets in his debut year and he has impressed many with his pace and stamina. He was rewarded for his efforts with an international call-up against Zimbabwe earlier this year in an ODI series. In three ODIs so far, he has picked up four wickets, with a best of 3 for 30 against Bangladesh.

He wasn't part of the original squad because selectors felt that Wahab Riaz's left-arm provided a more seasoned limited-overs option. Khan spent a week at a fast bowlers' camp in Lahore under the eye of Wasim Akram, where it was widely felt that despite his undoubted promise, there were still areas he needed to work on. Outside of his bowling, his poor fielding is considered a serious concern within the selection committee.
The Pakistan squad leaves for Dhaka on June 5.

Source: Cricinfo staff