Lahore, Oct 6 : A Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) disciplinary committee, in a surprising move, has omitted from its charge sheet the principal allegation against pacer Shoaib Akhtar, of hitting his team-mate Mohammad Asif with a cricket bat.

Shoaib’s lawyer, Bilal Mintoo and the PCB Chief Operating Officer (COO) Shafqat Naghmi, admitted that the primary charge of hitting Asif with the bat is not included in the charge sheet.

Mintoo disclosed that the charge sheet, which he received didn’t contain the charge of Asif being struck with a bat in South Africa.

"Three charges which Shoaib has to defend are why he played a charity match for Chris Lewis on Aug 8 without the PCB’s permission, the bowler’s open criticism of the board at the press conference after reaching Lahore from South Africa, and his criticism of the PCB anti-doping committee’s decision," Mintoo added.

Shoaib could only be banned under the charge of playing a match without permission, and under the rest of the charges the bowler could only be fined, he added.

Mintoo explained that playing a charity match was different from entering into a game for commercial purposes, and according to the central contract, a player could be banned for playing the latter, and not banned while appearing for a good cause.

The decision of omission the main charge was not in the knowledge of the PCB Director Media Dr Ahsan Hameed Malik

When contacted on the issue, he said that the disciplinary committee would decide on it when Shahid Afridi and Mohammad Asif to record their statements before the committee. (ANI)