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Shoaib Akhtar vows to fight five-year PBC ban

01/04/2008

Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has vowed to fight the five-year suspension imposed on him by the Pakistan Cricket Board.

Shoaib, 32, was banned following repeated violations of discipline and the ban means he will not be able to play domestic cricket in Pakistan or international cricket.

He will be able to appeal against the verdict but if the decision stands it will end his career at international level, but the first bowler in the world to bowl 100mph in a competitive fixture is determined to fight the ban.

"I will go to court and fight against the ban. I have always given 100 per cent for the national team. How can they accuse me of being a damaging influence on the team? For me, nothing is more important than playing for Pakistan. It is hard to bear with this stigma attached to me," he said.

Shoaib was already banned for two years after he struck his team-mate, Mohammad Asif with a bat before the Twenty20 World Cup in September 2007.

But it is his public criticism of the board's allocation of central contracts - his was downgraded earlier this year - that has brought the latest disciplinary action.

"It is hard to bear with this stigma attached to me," Shoaib added.