The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), while confirming on Tuesday that a meeting was indeed held between its chairman Ijaz Butt and the disgruntled former ODI captain Shahid Afridi in Islamabad, refused to comment on the outcome of the meeting.
“The Pakistan Cricket Board confirms that a meeting was held between PCB chairman and Mr Shahid Afridi in Islamabad. At this stage, the PCB will not make any further comments on the discussions that have taken place between the two,” a PCB news release said.
However, it is learnt that both the parties have agreed to settle the issue on a ‘give and take’ basis.
Inside sources said while Afridi will withdraw his case from the Sindh High Court (SHC) and will appear before the PCB disciplinary committee to face various disciplinary charges against him, the PCB will issue him an No-Objection-Certificate (NOC) to allow him to play anywhere he wants to.
Afridi is keen to get an NOC immediately from the board to represent Hampshire county in an ongoing domestic T20 tournament in England, the final of which is scheduled to be held on June 22.
Though there are reports that some influential political figures played their role in bringing the two parties to the negotiating table, a PCB official on the condition of anonymity dispelled the impression and categorically denied that any political influence was in play to arrange the meeting.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), it is learnt, has some role in sorting out the issue as its affiliated county Hampshire requested the PCB for Afridi’s availability since the all-rounder has high-market value as a dashing limited-overs player.
Earlier,on May 31, the PCB had taken a strict action against Afridi, for violating different clauses of his central contract relating to disciplinary acts after he had lashed out at the PCB officials in the media. A show-cause notice was issued to him seeking his explanation within seven days.
The PCB also suspended Afridi’s central contract, besides revoking all the NOCs issued to the all-rounder.
Afridi submitted his reply promptly to the PCB, confessing that he had indeed breached the central contract and is ready to appear before the disciplinary committee. However, he requested the PCB to re-issue him the NOC to play for Hampshire since he was running out of time.
The PCB refused the NOC and insisted on Afridi to appear before its three-member committee headed by Sultan Rana with Shafiq Ahmad and Usman Wahla as members.
Upon failing to get the NOC, Afridi opted to move the SHC and challenged the PCB’s stance of denying him the opportunity to earn his living by playing abroad.
The SHC has set June 16 as the next date of hearing.
