KARACHI: Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar was served a legal notice on Saturday by the councel of Pakistan Cricket Board asking him to pay the fine of seven million rupees imposed on him or risk being dropped from Pakistan's squad for next month's Champion's Trophy. 

"We have asked him to pay the fine or it would not be possible for us to retain him in Champions Trophy squad," PCB lawyer Tafazzul Rizvi said.

The selectors had picked Akhtar in the 15 member Champions Trophy squad with the board saying it had decided not to link the fine payment issue with his selection.

However, Rizvi said Akhtar will have to pay the fine as Lahore High Court which has suspended the 18 month ban on Akhtar had not waived fine payment nor given any stay order against it.

Responding to an earliere board notice, Akhtar said that the court had not set any deadline for paying the fine and that he would wait for the court's decision on his petition which will be heard next month.

Akhtar was banned for five years by the board in March on various counts of indiscipline but an appellate tribunal in June reduced the ban to 18 months.

He then filed a writ petition in Lahore High Court asking for the ban and fine to be overturned. The court, who has suspended the ban, Ahas not passed any order on the fine.

Source : MMD English