Shoaib not to pay the fine: Lawyer

Shoaib Akhtar's legal counsel on Sunday said that the fast bowler would not pay the seven million rupees fine, as demanded by the Pakistan Cricket Board as a pre-requisite to keep him in the Champions Trophy preliminary squad, until the court pronounced its verdict on his writ petition.

Abid Hasan Minto said Shoaib would pay the fine imposed on him by the appellate tribunal only when the Lahore High Court will make a final decision on the writ petition filed by him against the ban and fine."He has no objections to paying the fine but only when the high court reaches a final decision," Minto said. Shoaib and fellow pacer Mohammad Asif were selected by the national selection committee in Pakistan's 30-member preliminary squad. The list of probables was to be released by the Board on Friday, the deadline set by the International Cricket Council.

However, the Board held back the squad and called the selectors for fresh discussion tomorrow. They have also sent a notice to Shoaib asking him to pay the fine by Monday to be considered for selection.

The fine was imposed by an appellate tribunal, which reduced his original ban of five years to 18-months in June after Shoaib appealed against the PCB decision to ban him for five years.Shoaib had challenged the tribunal decision in the High Court which recently suspended the 18-months ban but did not stay the fine imposed on him.

Minto said the payment of the fine had nothing to do with the court decision allowing him to play for Pakistan even though the court will hear the case sometime in September.

"That has nothing to do with this ... the question is about playing of the cricketer. The ban on him playing has been removed by High Court's interim order, therefore as far as the fine is concerned, he will pay when the final decision of the High Court comes," he argued.

Minto also said it was up to the Board to decide if they wanted to select him or not.

"The ball is in their court. What they decide is up to them. If they want the devoid the national team of his presence and keep a first-class cricketer like him away from the team then it is their decision."They know that the fines that have been imposed on my client in the past have always been paid and he has never challenged them," he said.

Lanka thrash Bangla by 131 runs Lahore,

Lanka thrash Bangla by 131 runs Lahore,

June 25 (Agencies): Chasing a huge Sri Lankan total of 357, Bangladesh could manage only 226 for seven in their alloted overs to suffer a 131-run defeat. Mohammad Ashraful was left to rue his decision at the toss - on the sort of pitch where they had piled 300-plus the previous day, Bangladesh decided to field first and paid a heavy price as Sri Lanka, fired by some superb top-order batting by Kumar Sangakkara and Sanath Jayasuriya, piled a massive target before inflicting a heavy defeat. Chasing an insurmountable target, Bangladesh never seemed like waging a battle although a fourth-wicket stand of 78 between Mushfiqur Rahim and Raqibul Hasan played a major hand in delaying the inevitable. For a while the duo played with patience, character even tackled smartly the spin of Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan. But eventually, Muralitharan got the better of their grit, effectively ending the Bangladesh fight. Earlier the responsibility, once again, fell on Ashraful to play the multiple role of anchor, hustler and finisher. Yesterday, Ashraful had scored a composed century. Today, after his top edge was spilled by Jayasuriya, Ashraful went for a brash pull against a short ball from Dilhara Fernando. The umpire Simon Taufel thought the ball had brushed his gloves but the batsman started his walk with disbelief. SCORECARDSri Lanka: Jayasuriya b Abdur Razzak 72, Sangakkara c Tamim Iqbal b Mahmudullah 101, Jayawardene b Abdur Razzak 6, Kapugedera c Mashrafe Mortaza b Abdur Razzak 74, Silva c Mushfiqur Rahim b Alok Kapali 19, Dilshan c Tamim Iqbal b Mashrafe Mortaza 29, Vaas c Tamim Iqbal b Mashrafe Mortaza 13, Kulasekara c Mohammad Ashraful b Shahadat Hossain 1 3, Mendis not out 15, Muralitharan c Mohammad Ashraful b Shahadat Hossain 5, Fernando not out 0. Extras (lb 4, w 18) 22. Total (9 wickets; 50 overs) 357. Fall of wickets: 1-116), 2-170, 3-211, 4-264, 5-303, 6-330, 7-336, 8-337, 9-347. Bowling: Mashrafe Mortaza 10-0-53-2, Shahadat Hossain 7-0-62-2, Dolar Mahmud 3-0-49-0, Mahmudullah 10-0-62-1, Abdur Razzak 10-0-55-3, Alok Kapali 10-0-72-1Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal b Kulasekara 28, Nazimuddin c Sangakkara b Vaas 1, Mohammad Ashraful c Sangakkara b Fernando 8, Raqibul Hasan st Sangakkara b Muralitharan 35, Mushfiqur Rahim c & b Muralitharan 44, Alok Kapali c Jayasuriya b Silva 30, Mahmudullah b Jayasuriya 4, Mashrafe Mortaza not out 34, Abdur Razzak not out 22. Extras (b 4, lb 6, w 8, nb 2) 20, Total (7 wickets; 50 overs) 226. Fall of wickets1-5, 2-35, 3-48, 4-126, 5-135, 6-142, 7-177. Bowling Vaas 6-1-16-1, Kulasekara 7-0-33-1, Fernando 8-0-53-1, Mendis 10-1-34-0, M Muralitharan 10-0-37-2, Jayasuriya 5-0-22-1, Silva 4-1-21-1.