Akhtar slates ODI changes
Pakistan paceman Shoaib Akhtar has criticised cricket's administrators for favouring batsmen over fast bowlers.
The 32-year-old is fit again and back in favour with new coach Geoff Lawson but said: "Cricket should be about fast bowlers, not batsmen.
"Spectators like to see fast bowlers running in, hurting people, and pitches that make batsmen struggle for runs.
"But now we play on good batting tracks all the time, they've made laws about bouncers and free hits for a no-ball."
Shoaib, who was banned for two years in November 2006 after failing a drugs tests only to have the suspension quashed, missed the World Cup in the Caribbean earlier this year because of injury.
He has not played a one-day international since the fourth match of the series in England in September 2006 but played in recent Twenty20 matches for Pakistan and is part of Lawson's squad for the forthcoming ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa.
Regarding his well-documented ban, he put the blame at the hands of the committee set up by the Pakistan Cricket Board to investigate the matter.
"It's difficult when you get into trouble," he said. "If I do it, then it is a problem, but if anyone else does it, they don't get into trouble."
"The Pakistan Cricket Board has helped, it was not their fault the case went wrong. "The disciplinary committee turned out to be the main culprit."
Having conceded 31 from four overs in his Twenty20 debut in England last year, Shoaib took two wickets apiece against Bangladesh and Kenya in Nairobi recently.
He remains convinced, however, that fast bowlers are hard done by in modern day cricket.
"The charm has gone down in cricket because you don't have fast bowlers running in and bowling at 90mph now," he added.
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