Younus Khan backs Shoaib Akhtar for speaking 'bitter truth' about PCB

Former Pakistan skipper Younus Khan has backed speedster Shoaib Akhtar who lashed out at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for not taking serious action against people involved in match-fixing.

Taking to Twitter Khan wrote, "What a befitting and bitter truth spoken by @shoaib100mph! It takes a backbone to be simply uncompromisingly forthright. Time for @TheRealPCB to honestly evaluate his remarks for the betterment of Pakistan Cricket and its players. I stand by with #ShoaibAkhtar."

The pacer, famously known as 'Rawalpindi Express', also asked why the country doesn't bring in a legislation to criminalise match-fixing.

His remarks came a day after Umar Akmal was given a three-year ban for not reporting a match-fixing offer. As match-fixing continues to bother Pakistan cricket, former players in the country have raised their voice to ask for legislation, criminalising match-fixing.

"Why cannot you make match-fixing a criminal offence in Pakistan? You can give a jail term or seize the offenders' property, it will put fear in people, the PCB and their legal team are being incompetent, why there is no legislation to criminalise match-fixing," Akhtar had said in a video posted on his YouTube channel.

After Akhtar's remarks on PCB, the board's advisor Tafazzul Rizvi has initiated defamation and criminal proceedings against him for "highly inappropriate and disrespectful" remarks against the country's cricket governing body and its legal department.

In a statement, PCB on Wednesday expressed disappointment over Akhtar's "poor choice of words".

"The PCB is disappointed with Shoaib Akhtar's poor choice of words while publically commenting about the PCB's legal department and its legal advisor. The language used by Shoaib Akhtar was highly inappropriate and disrespectful, and cannot be condoned in any civilized society," PCB had said in a statement.

"The PCB's legal advisor, Taffazul Rizvi, in his own discretion, has initiated defamation and criminal proceedings against Shoaib Akhtar, while the PCB too reserves its rights," it had added. 

-ANI

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