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Shoaib Akhtar cleared to play in IPL

04/05/2008

Shoaib Akhtar has been cleared to play in the Indian Premier League after the Pakistan Cricket Board agreed to suspend his appeal against a five-year ban by one month.

Shoaib had been due to play for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the lucrative Twenty20 competition after being drafted for $425,000 (£215,432).

However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decided to ban the fast bowler from competing for and in Pakistan for five years after he breached the players' code of conduct.

A tribunal upheld the verdict last week but the appeal has now been put back for a month as the PCB claims it is happy to be flexible.

PCB spokesman Amir Bilal said: "The PCB has always shown a flexible view to Shoaib Akhtar.

"We said it at the outset that we have nothing personal against him. What ever happened has been done as per rules and regulations.

"If the IPL gives him permission to play we have no problem."

Despite the Kolkata Knight Riders not being a Pakistani side and therefore Shoaib not seemingly to be in breach of his ban, the International Cricket Council (ICC) insisted that every player who participates must be eligible for their country when it endorsed the league as an official competition.

IPL chairman Lalit Modi said he looked forward to Shoaib participating in the tournament and felt he would be an asset to his IPL side.

He told Indian news channel Headlines Today: "I welcome Shoaib to participate in the IPL. He will be in India as soon as he can. He has a great following and people love him."

The Knight Riders have won two and lost four of their six games so far.