Pakistan cricket today plunged into a fresh controversy with fast bowler Shoaib
Akhtar being recalled home from the World Twenty20 Championships in South
Africa for hitting fellow paceman Mohammad Asif with a bat.
The Pakistan Cricket Board took a serious note of the incident which occurred
during the team's nets session at the Centurion Park yesterday and as a disciplinary
measure told Shoaib to return home by the first flight available.
"The decision to recall him has been taken after initial
inquiry by the team management in South Africa. But a more detailed probe
would be ordered once he returns home," PCB Chief Executive Shafqat
Nagmi said.
"Shoaib admitted he had struck Asif with the bat and was
apologetic but we are treating this incident very seriously," Naghmi said.
The incident took place after an initial verbal spat between
the two and ended with Shoaib hitting Asif on is left thigh with a bat.
Ehsan Malik, the media manager of the team in the World
Cup, said Asif had thankfully escaped any serious injury and his X-rays had
shown no internal injury.
The incident comes at a time when the Pakistan team was banking
on Shoaib and Asif, who share the new ball, to lift them to a good performance
in the Twenty20 World Championships after their debacle in the World Cup at
the Caribbean earlier this year.
Naghmi said the Board would decide on a replacement soon but
sources said pacer Mohammad Sami was in contention to replace Shoaib who had
made a return to the side after playing just one Test and four one-dayers in
the last 15-months.
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