PCB bans Shahid Afridi from Sharjah Cup

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has banned Shahid Afridi from next month's Sharjah Cup that will be played between April 1 and 10 and will also be participated in by Sri Lanka and South Africa. He has also been fined 50 per cent of his Indian game match fee in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003. Shahid Afridi was found guilty of sledging two Indian batsmen - Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar -- and umpire David Shepherd. The decision was taken on Wednesday.

"We received an official complaint from the International Cricket Council (ICC) supported with evidence. The players were told prior to their departure for South Africa that no indiscipline will be tolerated. Unfortunately, Shahid Afridi breached the players Code of Conduct and had to be penalized", a spokesman of the PCB said.

Shahid Afridi is, however, allowed to represent his team in the ongoing National Bank Patron's Cup one-day tournament.

It was also decided in the two-day meeting, chaired by Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Lt Gen Tauqir Zia, that the team and the management for Sharjah Cup will be announced on March 24.

"The selection committee of Wasim Bari decided that the players be allowed to participate in the NBP Patron's Cup one-day tournament matches between March 16 and 22 so that they have a fair idea about the fitness and form of the players. All the players have been advised to play in these matches", the spokesman said.

"No decision on the future of the senior players has been taken as the selectors are still in discussion stages and would only finalize the 15-man team once they watch the matches."

The PCB has also not decided about the captain of the team. "Let the selectors first submit a squad of 15 and after that only the captain will be picked", PCB Chairman Lt Gen Tauqir Zia said.

He added: "We don't want to jump the gun as we still have time in our hand before the Sharjah Cup. We are in a stage where a lot of thinking has to be put in our decisions before they are made or announced."

Besides the selection committee, the team management of the World Cup squad submitted their reports and apprised the chairman in detail. Pakistan captain Waqar Younis, contrary to media reports, also met in the evening and was not kept "waiting in the corridors" of the Gaddafi Stadium.

Samiul Hasan
General Manager - Media
Mobile +92 300 8424 389
13 March 2003