Pakistan court postpones Afridi decision
KARACHI — A Pakistani court on Thursday left in place a ban on former cricket captain Shahid Afridi playing abroad, putting off ruling on his legal tussle with sporting authorities for…
KARACHI — A Pakistani court on Thursday left in place a ban on former cricket captain Shahid Afridi playing abroad, putting off ruling on his legal tussle with sporting authorities for at least a week.Afridi went to court after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) punished him for allegedly breaching a code of conduct by announcing his retirement after he was dumped as one-day captain, and levelling allegations against the board.It suspended his central contract and revoked all his no-objection certificates (NOCs), which would have allowed him to play in England -- where he was due to represent Hampshire in the Twenty20 league -- and Sri Lanka.The Sindh high court in Karachi adjourned Afridi's case until June 16, when PCB officials are expected to justify their sanctions against the all-rounder before a two-member bench makes a decision."The court has adjourned the hearing," PCB lawyer Tafazzul Rizvi told AFP after the session."The decision means there is status quo on the case and we have been asked to submit a detailed reply to the petition filed by Afridi."Afridi's petition was filed after Pakistan coach Waqar Younis and manager Intikhab Alam described him as "immature and unwilling to listen" in tour reports leaked to the media and published in the Dawn newspaper this week.The slanging match has rocked Pakistani cricket, still reeling from the aftermath of a spot-fixing scandal which ended in lengthy bans on Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer.A large number of Afridi's fans gathered outside the court, holding up banners in support of the former star player."Re-instate Afridi," said one. "Sack PCB chairman Ijaz Butt" and "Punishments against Afridi illegal", said two others. Much to the fans' disappointment, Afridi did not show up at court."We have come here in Afridi's support and feel that Pakistan cricket is incomplete without him," said Zaib Khan, a factory worker who skipped work to attend.On Tuesday, the court had ordered the PCB to adjourn a disciplinary committee meeting Afridi had been
last modification 2011-06-09 13:45:38
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