Pakistan court postpones Afridi decision

A Pakistani court on Thursday left in place a ban on former cricket captain Shahid Afridi playing abroad, putting off ruling on his legal tussle with sporting authorities for at least a week. Afridi went to court after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) punished him for allegedly breaching a code of conduct by announcing his retirement after he was dumped as one-day captain, and levelling allegations against the board. It suspended his central contract and revoked all his no-objection certificates (NOCs), which would have allowed him to play in England -- where he was due to represent Hampshire in the Twenty20 league -- and Sri Lanka. The Sindh high court in Karachi adjourned Afridi's case until June 16, when PCB officials are expected to justify their sanctions against the all-rounder before a two-member bench makes a decision. "The court has adjourned the hearing," PCB lawyer Tafazzul Rizvi told AFP after the session. "The decision means there is status quo on the case and we have been asked to submit a detailed reply to the petition filed by Afridi." Afridi's petition was filed after Pakistan coach Waqar Younis and manager Intikhab Alam described him as "immature and unwilling to listen" in tour reports leaked to the media and published in the Dawn newspaper this week. The slanging match has rocked Pakistani cricket, still reeling from the aftermath of a spot-fixing scandal which ended in lengthy bans on Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer. A large number of Afridi's fans gathered outside the court, holding up banners in support of the former star player. "Re-instate Afridi," said one. "Sack PCB chairman Ijaz Butt" and "Punishments against Afridi illegal", said two others. Much to the fans' disappointment, Afridi did not show up at court. "We have come here in Afridi's support and feel that Pakistan cricket is incomplete without him," said Zaib Khan, a factory worker who skipped work to attend. On Tuesday, the court had ordered the PCB to adjourn a disciplinary committee meeting Afridi had been due to face this week, and summoned officials to Thursday's hearing. Rizvi, the PCB lawyer, said the punishment was included in the central contract that the player had signed, a claim contradicted by Afridi's lawyer Syed Ali Zafar. "The sanctions are not under the central contract and that's what we have pleaded," said Zafar, who denied Afridi's sole aim in going to court was to seek permission to play abroad. "We are against the disciplinary proceedings, which we have successfully adjourned, and the court has given us the right to claim for monetary losses suffered due to Afridi not being able to play in England," said Zafar. Former officials and players on Thursday slammed the decision to leak the tour reports as an attempt to malign the popular former captain. "The results of this are devastating for Afridi," former PCB chairman Khalid Mahmood told AFP. "Whether the leakage is deliberate by the PCB or is mala fide (in bad faith), I don't know, but it reflects chaos in the Board." Former Test spinner and ex-chairman of selectors, Salahuddin Ahmed, blamed the PCB for the leak. "Just consider the timing," said Ahmed. "It is an attempt to malign Afridi and this was also done to remove Shoaib Malik, Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf as captains in the past." Former Pakistan spinner and ex-chairman of selector Iqbal Qasim said it was disappointing to see the PCB and Afridi tangled in mud-slinging. "Our cricket has been a laughing stock internationally. The assertions made by coach and manager about a captain in the media will allow others to make a mockery of our cricket and our captain." "I think when the case is in the court both the parties should show restraint and try to solve the matter amicably," said Qasim, one of the most respected figures in Pakistan cricket.