Witnesses in Shoaib-Asif spat to be decided on Saturday

KARACHI: The PCB disciplinary committee will decide on Saturday on the witnesses to be called for the disciplinary hearing against Shoaib Akhtar, who was sent home from the Twenty20 World Cup for allegedly hitting teammate Mohammad Asif with a bat.

"The committee held an in-house meeting today but will decide tomorrow which players and officials to call as witnesses in this case," PCB media manager Ehsan Malik told.

The committe on Friday held a meeting in Lahore to decide the terms of the hearing.

Although Malik denied that Akhtar had been sent a notice by the committee, sources said the fast bowler had got one and would have to appear before the three-member committee next week.
    
The Board has given the committee two weeks to finalise its findings after the hearing and submit a report on the incident.

Sources say the committee might recommend a big fine and a ban of five matches on Shoaib which means he will miss the entire series against South Africa but would be available for the tour of India in November-December.
   
The PCB committee is expected to call manager Talat Ali, captain Shoaib Malik, Mohammed Asif, Shahid Afridi and some other players as witnesses in the case which rocked Pakistan cricket earlier this month.