ICC will look into PCB petition

LONDON, Jan 6: Leading world cricket officials Jagmohan Dalmiya and Sir Clyde Walcott are to consider an appeal to suspend a ban on Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar over his illegal action, reports Reuters.

A nine-man International Cricket Council (ICC) advisory panel suspended Akhtar for a month last week because of his suspect action. Doubts about it were raised during Pakistan's recent Test tour of Australia.

The ICC said in a statement from its Lord's headquarters on Wednesday: "ICC has received a request from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to suspend the decision of the advisory panel to remove Shoaib Akhtar from international cricket.

"The request from PCB for the decision to be suspended is unprecedented as no formal procedure currently exists.

"Therefore, the matter has been referred to Jagmohan Dalmiya, ICC president, and Sir Clyde Walcott, ICC cricket committee chairman, for their consideration."

Pakistan cricket chief Tauqir Zia said on Tuesday the PCB would challenge Akhtar's suspension because only six of the nine members of the advisory panel took part in a tele-conference to discuss his action on December 30.

"The video footage provided by the ICC did not show Akhtar bowling six deliveries of an over. Instead, he was shown bowling only express fast deliveries or bouncers," Zia said.