Genital warts keep Shoaib Akhtar out of Twenty20

[blueandblack]

Pakistan pulled fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar out of next month's World Twenty20 tournament in England due to him suffering from genital warts, the Pakistan Cricket Board said Thursday.

"We have pulled him out of the World Twenty20 on the basis of a medical report given by our doctor which said that Akhtar needs 10 days to recover from groin wounds," the PCB said.

"The medical board has reported that Akhtar was suffering from genital viral warts."

Akhtar becomes the first casualty of the 12-team event for which final 15-man squads were announced on May 5.

The 33-year-old missed last week's conditioning camp in a luxury Pakistani hill resort due to the condition and his omission had been widely expected after he missed the first of three practice matches here Wednesday.

Coach Intikhab Alam backed Akhtar's omission on fitness grounds.

"We can't keep a half-fit player for a major event," Alam told reporters.

"He has not done any training for the last 15-20 days and missed last week's camp. His performance is for all to judge to his form, so we had to take this decision and fortunately it happened before the event started," said Alam.

Akhtar is likely to be replaced by paceman Rao Iftikhar for the second edition of the World Twenty20 which starts in England from June 5.

"We have sent Iftikhar's name as replacement and he attended the camp and is in good shape," said Alam.

Asked whether Akhtar's troubled career was over, Alam said it was up to the bowler to work on his form.

"He is out only for the World Twenty20 and now it's up to him to work on his fitness and earn a recall. He was selected in the squad but he failed to keep his fitness and his career depends on fitness."

The PCB said it has written the technical committee of the World Twenty20 for the right to name a replacement after the fast bowler's fitness was assessed by a three-man panel on Thursday.

http://www.watoday.com.au/sport/geni...0522-bhw4.html

[LarryNJ]

That's too much information. A simple he's out for health reasons would have been fine!

[fulvio sammut]

That this information should be released by the Pakistan cricket authorities is actually pretty incredible. I note there has been no attribution of the "press release" to any individual.

Apart from issues of plain old fashioned decency, which generally is rated very highly in the sub-continent, there must be Pakistani legislation preventing the release of sensitive personal information by an employer.

There must also be laws preventing the publication of information maliciously, even if true. Truth is not always a universal defence, despite a common misconception to the contrary.

If the information is true or not, not only is it extremely damaging to the cricketer in his employment, but it holds him up to international public ridicule and contempt, not to mention the incalculable potential damage to his marriage or private personal relationships.

Sub-Continental cricket is not managed by fools, it is well funded and has excellent management and professional advice at its finger tips.

No, I think there is something else happening here, and we'll hear about it fully in the days to come.

Some Pakistani lawyer is set to make a killing over this, but I suspect it will be the Murdochs of this world who will be paying for it, not the Pakistan Cricket Board.

[brokendown gunfighter]

Akhtar & the Pakistani cricket board have been at loggerheads for ages

this may be some payback