‘I’ll see you in court’

Afridi files petition in Sindh High Court, stay-order issued on disciplinary committee hearing

KARACHI:

The dispute between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Shahid Afridi has gone to court with the cricketer winning astay-order against a disciplinary hearing and penalties.

Afridi announced his retirement and accused the PCB for being biased towards him, triggering the board to suspend his central contract andrevoke all his NOCs, halting his participation in the English Twenty20 Championship and the Sri Lankan Premier League.

The board had formed a three-member disciplinary committee that comprised Sultan Rana (Director Domestic Cricket), Shafiq Ahmed (General Manager Domestic Cricket) and Usman Wahla (Manager International Cricket). PCB’s legal adviser Tafazzul Rizvi was due to oversee the procedings. While the board has been restrained from holding a hearing, it has vowed to fight its case and announced that it will follow the court’s orders to appear tomorrow, June 9.

Afridi’s lawyer hopeful

“We have filed a petition against the sanctions imposed on our client,” Afridi’s lawyer Syed Ali Zafar told The Express Tribune.

“We have also sought a stay-order after which the Sindh High Court (SHC) suspended the PCB’s disciplinary committee.”

Afridi’s lawyer has pleaded that an independent disciplinary committee be formed to hear the former captain’s case.

“We want an independent disciplinary committee without intervention from the PCB,” said Zafar who was hopeful that the court would declare its verdict in favour of his client.

“The sanctions against our client are unjust. We have a strong case and we are very hopeful that the outcome will be in our favour.”

PCB to appear before SHC

Meanwhile, the PCB remained adamant on their stance saying the sanctions against the former captain were imposed in light of PCB’s code of conduct.

“We will follow all court orders,” said PCB’s legal advisor Talib Rizvi. “We will appear in tomorrow’s hearing to give our version. The PCB has taken the action in light of its code of conduct. It is according to the company’s rules and regulations.”

Rizvi also added that Afridi’s lawyers have misguided the court by hiding information that could be vital to the case.

“Things will become clear when we will give our version,” he said. “The lawyers must have hidden facts which go against their client.

“We will reveal Afridi’s reply to the court in which he has accepted all the violations. We are confident that the court will reconsider its decision once they hear our story.”

Syed Zafar Ali

“The sanctions against our client are unjust. We have also sought a stay-order after which the Sindh High Court suspended the PCB’s disciplinary committee. We have a strong case and we are very hopeful that the case will be ruled in our favour.”



Shahid Afridi

“The PCB chairman Ijaz Butt took a decision based on whatever the management told him. He should have given me a chance to speak over happenings in the West Indies. They say they want to eradicate player-power. This is not the way to do it, by humiliating players.”



Ijaz Butt

“Ninety per cent of the things that Shahid Afridi is saying are wrong. He never requested a meeting with me after the tour of West Indies. If he wants to take out rallies, he should join politics and stand for elections. He has been given unnecessary support by politicians.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 8^th, 2011.