LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board Thursday summoned former Pakistani skipper Shahid Afridi to appear before a disciplinary committee next week for breaching its code of conduct, it said in a statement. Afridi quit international cricket Monday, saying he was dejected after being replaced as one-day captain following a fiery clash with coach Waqar Younis. “A three-man committee comprising of Shafiq Ahmed, Sultan Rana and Usman Wahla has been formed and Afridi has been summoned on June 8 to appear before it,” said the PCB statement. The proceedings will be conducted in closed session and no outsiders will be allowed to attend, the PCB said, adding that there would be a right of appeal from the committee's findings. The PCB Tuesday suspended Afridi's central contract and revoked all his rights to play cricket abroad. Pakistani media Thursday speculated Afridi will be fined five million rupees ($59,000) and banned for 15 months. If confirmed, it would be the second-heaviest sanction ever handed to a Pakistani cricketer. Paceman Shoaib Akhtar was handed a seven million rupee fine and 13 one-day match ban in 2007. The PCB has, meanwhile, rejected a request from Afridi for permission to play for English county Hampshire. Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik said earlier Thursday he would urge Afridi to reverse his retirement decision. “I will do whatever I can to resolve this issue, as I am equally a fan of Afridi,” Malik tweeted. “I hope to give u (you) some good news in the future.” Afridi criticized the top leadership of Pakistan Cricket Board earlier this week and quit international cricket in protest. However, he said he could return if the present setup of the PCB is changed. Pakistan coach Waqar Younis, meanwhile, does not harbor a grudge against Shahid Afridi and said he was sad to hear the former captain had decided to retire. “I am sad that he decided to retire,” Waqar told reporters at Lahore airport after returning with the national team from Ireland. “I don't know why he took such a decision. But I have no personal grudge with him. Waqar said appointing a new captain was not his prerogative. “It's not in my hand to appoint captain of the team,” said a visibly upset Pakistan coach. “PCB chairman appoints captain so you better ask him why the change was made.”
