Ruling Pakistan People's Party on Thursday dubbed as "unjustified" the five-year ban on fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar and accused the country's cricket board head of victimising him to settle his personal score.
The ban is "unjustified" and finish Shoaib's career, said Chaudhary Munawar Anjum, spokesman of PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zaradi said in a statement in Lahore.
He alleged the bowler was victimised by the Chairman (Nasim Ashraf) of Pakistan Cricket Board on the basis of his personal disliking of Shoaib.
"Through this unjustified severe punishment, the Chairman, PCB, has tried to set personal score with Shoaib", Anjum was quoted by official news agency PPP as saying.
"It is like ending Shoaib's career prematurely without a valid reason", he added. Anjum charged the PCB Chairman is following a policy of sideline promising players and his act has "ruined" Pakistan cricket which was evident from the team's poor performance in recent past.
He said that due to "unfair" decision to ban Shoaib "the entire Pakistani nation has raised its voice to record its protest"
"We appeal to the Prime Minister to order a thorough probe and lift the ban from the bowler to end this issue", he said.
Anjum demanded a new board should be constituted "to run the cricket on solid lines and encourage new talent".
"We appeal to the Prime Minister to order a thorough probe and lift the ban from the bowler to end this issue", he said.
Anjum demanded a new board should be constituted "to run the cricket on solid lines and encourage new talent".