Shoaib Akhtar slapped with Rs10 million defamation suit by PCB's legal adviser

Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) legal advisor Tafazzul Rizvi filed a Rs10 million defamation lawsuit against former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar on Wednesday after the Rawalpindi Express described him as "an inept person of highest order’ and made other serious allegations towards him as well.

Akhtar, in a video on his YouTube channel a day ago, had ripped apart the PCB and its legal team, especially Rizvi, accusing him of profiteering by creating protracted legal wrangles between the board and its players.

"The remarks given by Shoaib Akhtar has affected my goodwill. He said false things about me on social media. His remarks were seen and heard abroad as well. Therefore, I decided to take legal action against him," Rizvi said.

The PCB advisor said that he will take action against Akhtar outside of Pakistan, too, adding that he has also "submitted a criminal complaint to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) under the cybercrime act".

PCB disappointed from Akhter’s ‘highly disrespectful’ outburst

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) expressed "disappointment with Akhter’s outburst and termed it ‘highly disrespectful’". The PCB also clarified that the legal notice sent to him does not involve the board's backing - yet.

“The PCB is disappointed with Shoaib Akhtar’s poor choice of words while publicly commenting about the PCB’s legal department and its legal advisor," the board said in a press release after Rizvi filed the suit against him.

The PCB, which was also allegedly accused of "lending cover and condoning match-fixers" by the fiery former fast bowler, further said: "The language used by Shoaib Akhtar was highly inappropriate and disrespectful, and cannot be condoned in any civilised society."

The board, however, said that the lawsuit filed against Akhtar does not have PCB as a plaintiff, although that could change, it hinted.

"The PCB’s legal advisor, Mr Taffazul Rizvi, in his own discretion, has initiated defamation and criminal proceedings against Shoaib Akhtar, while the PCB too reserves its rights,” the press release added.