The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have warned the International Cricket Council (ICC) that they will take legal action if Shoaib Akhtar is cited again for having a suspect bowling action. According to a report in Pakistan's Dawn newspaper, the warning came from PCB chairman Lt Gen Tauqir Zia. For good measure he added that any report would result in the immediate withdrawal of the Pakistan side from any tour taking place at the time.

"The captain and the manager have my standing instructions to withdraw the team from the field, pack their bags and abort the tour if Shoaib is reported again," Zia is quoted as saying. "I fear he will be targeted again because he has again started taking wickets and the World Cup is not far away."

The Sri Lankan Cricket Board issued similar warnings after Muttiah Muralitharan was called for throwing and subsequently cleared, and he has not been cited since.

"I want the ICC, its umpires and match referees to deal Shoaib the same way Muralitharan was handled," Zia added.

With diplomacy seemingly abandoned, Zia then turned his attentions to the Indian government's refusal to allow matches with Pakistan to take place. "I don't know if they are scared of losing to Pakistan or there is really any significant reason," he said. But … the decision has effectively ended the existence of Asian Cricket Council."

He called on the ICC to take the matter up with India, although he admitted there was little that could be done and that suspending India was not an option. "Most of the major sponsors for next year's World Cup are from India and if India's membership is cancelled, the World Cup would end in disaster. We all need to understand that India has a big market and if the game is flourishing, its because of them."

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