Shut the door on Shoaib

Cats have fewer lives than the chances offered to Shoaib Akhtar to make amends for his indiscretions. His sheer pace and charisma were once an asset to Pakistan cricket, and his individuality a refreshing aberration in a team bogged down in overbearing religiosity.
But even his warmest admirers, if he has any left, must now feel that enough is enough. There are no two ways about it: Shoaib Akhtar has to be shown the door -- permanently. Irrespective of the provocation, hitting a team member (with a bat no less) is simply inexcusable.
It is now abundantly clear that Shoaib comes equipped with a self-destruct button that is always within reach and could be pressed at a moment's notice. For him to think is to act and the consequences be damned. Regrets expressed on the morning after hold no water whatsoever, for a refusal to grow up is not a valid excuse in any profession. Mohammad Asif, the victim of Shoaib's assault, is a cocksure individual who can easily rub people the wrong way.
Indeed, Asif may well have been baiting him deliberately in connivance with others. But to fall for it and respond with extreme violence was sheer stupidity on Shoaib's part. He must now pay the price and live with the knowledge -- never easy for those who suffer from a sense of persecution -- that the 'enemy' has won. After the event, Shoaib apologised for his behaviour and insisted that “I am not a bad human being, it's just that I get angry more often than others.” In that case he should be attending anger-management courses instead of representing his country on the playing field. Pakistan's loss will probably be the Indian Cricket League's gain, but so be it. Despite everything, Shoaib Akhtar will be missed. All that talent simply thrown away.