Lahore, July 4 : The Lahore High Court today lifted an 18-month ban on Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar for indiscipline.

Although the court lifted the suspension, it did not withdraw the seven million rupees fine imposed by the PCB appellate tribunal last month, said media reports from Lahore.

The PCB had handed the volatile fast bowler a five-year ban in April for several instances of indiscipline and violating the conditions of the two-year probation.

But, later it reduced the suspension to 18 months with a fine.

Meanwhile, the next date of hearing of Shoaib’s appeal at the PCB Appellate Tribunal is yet to be fixed. The last hearing of the Tribunal could not be held on June 4 as Tribunal Chief Aftab Farrukh was not be available for hearing due to his some “personal engagements”.

Justice Farrukh had said he could not hear the scheduled case on June 4 due to personal engagements, and that he has already informed about it to the PCB officials.

Shoaib had moved his application against the five-year ban imposed on him, following which the ban was temporarily lifted for one month to enable him to play for Knight Riders in IPL.

He was banned for several incidents of indiscipline and violating the conditions of a two-year probation.

On May 4 while lifting the ban for one month, Justice Farrukh had said the ban was delayed until the next hearing on June 4. "Since it will take time to dispose of Shoaib's regular appeal against the ban the tribunal felt that preventing him from playing in the league would have been an additional penalty on him," he had said and added: "It would have been an additional penalty which has not even been prescribed by the disciplinary committee of the board which banned him from playing in or for Pakistan but not outside Pakistan.” (ANI)