Shah Rukh Khan, who owns Knight Riders, said he would request "Lalit Modi to reconsider the decision" on
Shoaib Akhtar. He said the charges against the fast bowler were not so serious that his presence could create a negative impression in the minds of young cricketers. "It is a ban related to his behaviour and I hope things get sorted out in our favour," Shah Rukh said. "Shoaib is a great player and I would like to have him back. I don't know why he cannot play. I want him in the team as he is very important for
Kolkata Knight Riders. "I know I am allowed to take another player but I want Shoaib back," he added
Shoaib Akhtar probably tried to gain sympathy by claiming he'd turned down offers from bookies in India and South Africa, to under-perform, but that India bit appears to have hurt him hard.
For, some 24 hours after the multi-million-dollar
Indian Premier League (IPL) confirmed that he wouldn't be barred from turning out for the Shah Rukh Khan-owned Kolkata Knight Riders, it did a U-turn.
The bottomline now is that the temperamental Pakistani can't play in the IPL as long as he remains a banned cricketer.
Shoaib will appeal against the five-year ban slapped by the disciplinary committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), but the Knight Riders look set to seek a replacement.
"He plans to appeal, yes, but what if it takes time for the process to be completed? Moreover, what if the ban isn't revoked? From the team's perspective, we've got to have a back-up," remarked somebody closely associated with the Knight Riders.
Posted by Karan Bathena | Views 390 | Share Blog
