Shoaib Akhtar - End Of The Road? Options

[noorie]

Quite obviously, being convicted of ball tampering, taking performance enhancing drugs and being the thorn in the side of any decent soul who has ever tried to do any good for Pakistan cricket isn't enough. Shoaib Akhtar decided he needed to bash one of his team mates - with a bat, no less - to prove his point.

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The point is, nobody seems to quite understand what Akhtar's point actually was.

A typically Shoaib Akhtar-esque situation has resulted in more questions than answers. Why did the fight start? Who were the protagonists? Was Shahid Afridi the peacemaker, or was it Mohammad Asif? Which company sponsored the bat that Akthar used to strike Asif? Will the said company use Akhtar and that darned bat in an advertising campaign?

On a more serious note, we have been fed absolutely conflicting versions of the events that led to Pakistan's most potent immature fast bowler of the modern generation being sent home for the second time within 12 months from an ICC event. It seems clear that Akhtar has taken a few liberties with the truth in an attempt to weasel his way out of an extremely tight spot.

It's surprising that there hasn't been an unanimous call for a permanent ban to be handed down to Akhtar. Instead, some people are wondering whether this is the end of the road for the rogue paceman.

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