Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has been told by the Pakistan Cricket Board to reign in fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar after he appeared on the front page of a New Zealand newspaper jet-skiing when he was supposed to be recovering from a groin and abdominal injury.
Sources in the Pakistan Board confirmed that Chief Executive Rameez Raja had spoken to Inzamam and told him that the incident was not a positive reflection on the discipline in the team.
"Inzamam has been told that Shoaib is required to be handled with more firmness and it was unthinkable that while he was said to be recovering from a serious injury, which forced him to miss the first two one-day internationals, he was captured jet-skiing on the front page of a newspaper at a holiday lake resort in Queenstown," 'The News' daily quoted a PCB official.
"Rameez told Inzamam that while the Board would be speaking to Shoaib, as captain he also had the responsibility to ensure the players behaved properly and created a positive image for the team and Pakistan cricket," he said.
Akhtar placed his teammates in an embarrassing position when his photograph appeared on the front page of 'Southland Times' on Wednesday jet skiing when he was supposed be injured and not fit for the match.
Sources said the Board was faced with a catch-21 situation while dealing with Shoaib. "They know his presence at 100 per cent fitness is imperative in the coming home series against India. But they also realise his antics don't have a very positive effect on the rest of the squad."
