Lambasting the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for creating a spoilt brat like Shoaib Akhtar,
former captain Asif Iqbal demanded a life ban for the erratic
speedster following the Johannesburg brawl that tarnished the country's image.
A furious Asif said Shoaib has done enough damage and should be permanently dumped
with a life ban for hitting teammate Mohammad Asif with a bat in Johannesburg.
"The line has to be drawn somewhere and if it is not drawn here, the question
has to be asked are we waiting till he commits mass murder?" a livid Asif
wrote in his column for "The News".
Shoaib, part of Pakistan's Twenty20 World Cup squad, had a
spat during the nets in Johannesburg during which he hit pace colleague Mohammad
Asif with a bat that left the youngster with a bruised thigh.
The team management promptly sent Shoaib back and on his return,
the temperamental pacer claimed he was provoked by Shahid Afridi and
apologised for the episode. The PCB has formed a three-member panel to probe
the issue.
Shoaib's word of apology, however, could not douse Asif's anger
and the former captain advocated a "no mercy" policy while dealing
the issue.
"This, of course, is not the first time that a Pakistani cricketer has
disgraced himself, his team and his country by resorting to physical violence
and unless very stern action is taken, it will not be the last either,"
he said.
Asif went on to add that this kind of incidents have ramifications
that spill well over the boundary of cricket.
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