Retired former Pakistan cricket captain Shahid Afridi met PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt in Islamabad on Tuesday amid indications that a resolution of the ongoing dispute between the two is on the cards.
Well-placed sources confirmed to PTI that a meeting had taken place on the insistence of a government official close to President Asif Zardari who is chief patron of the board.
“It has been decided in the meeting that Afridi will withdraw his petition from the Sindh high court and appear before the disciplinary committee of the Board,” a source said.
He said in return for Afridi’s compliance, the Board’s disciplinary committee will impose a token fine and seek an apology from him before issuing him the NOCs to play in England and Sri Lanka.
No official of the PCB was willing to confirm or deny the development but the sources said the meeting had taken place at an undisclosed location and the PCB would release the details later in the day.
The source said the meeting was held because the President also wanted a quick resolution to the ongoing dispute while Afridi himself had been keen to get out of the muddle that he found himself after submitting a petition in the high court against the disciplinary proceedings and committee of the board.
“Butt was not very keen to go for a settlement but had to cool down on the insistence of some government officials who pointed out to him that Afridi would accept the law of the board but the dispute should be resolved since it was damaging the image of Pakistan cricket,” the source said.
