Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar's career is likely to receive another blow with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) deciding not to renew his central contract as he is neither playing for the national team nor competing in the domestic circuit.“Whether it is Shoaib Akhter or anybody else no fresh contract would be given to players whose careers have been marred by several breakdowns,” PCB Chairman Ejaz Butt told APP.
But said only those players would be given contracts and monthly salaries who were playing for the country or competing at the domestic level. “In both cases, Shoaib has not played for a while now so from next month he will not be getting salary any more from the board.”
Shoaib Akhtar, 34 has played 46 Test matches and took 178 wickets with an average of 25.69. He has taken 223 wickets in 144 ODIs with an average of 23.86 and economic rate 4.69. He played his last Test match against India at Bangalore in December 2007, while in ODIs his last appearance was against Australia at Dubai on May 7, this year.
Akhtar, 34, believes to be take another two to three months to regain full fitness and play competitive cricket after his recent surgery. And the chairman PCB conceives that with a history of fitness problems, Akhtar is unlikely to make a comeback.
© Cricdb
