Shah Rukh Khan, who owns Knight Riders, said he would request “Lalit Modi to reconsider the decision” on Shoaib Akhtar. He said the charges against the fast bowler were not so serious that his presence could create a negative impression in the minds of young cricketers. “It is a ban related to his behaviour and I hope things get sorted out in our favour,” Shah Rukh said. “Shoaib is a great player and I would like to have him back. I don’t know why he cannot play. I want him in the team as he is very important for Kolkata Knight Riders. “I know I am allowed to take another player but I want Shoaib back,” he added. (PTI)

April 3: Shoaib Akhtar probably tried to gain sympathy by claiming he’d turned down offers from bookies in India and South Africa, to under-perform, but that India bit appears to have hurt him hard.

For, some 24 hours after the multi-million-dollar Indian Premier League (IPL) confirmed that he wouldn’t be barred from turning out for the Shah Rukh Khan-owned Kolkata Knight Riders, it did a U-turn.

The bottomline now is that the temperamental Pakistani can’t play in the IPL as long as he remains a banned cricketer.

Shoaib will appeal against the five-year ban slapped by the disciplinary committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), but the Knight Riders look set to seek a replacement.

“He plans to appeal, yes, but what if it takes time for the process to be completed? Moreover, what if the ban isn’t revoked? From the team’s perspective, we’ve got to have a back-up,” remarked somebody closely associated with the Knight Riders.

Late tonight, however, Shah Rukh himself came into the picture, declaring he’d call for the IPL to review its decision.

The question is: Will the IPL engage in another flip-flop?

While the IPL, which is being promoted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), gets under way on April 18, the Knight Riders camp is scheduled to begin in Calcutta on April 12.

That’s not far off.

The Shoaib development is, of course, bound to affect gate receipts at the Eden as he would have been the biggest on-field draw after captain Sourav Ganguly. Most of the players, though, could be quite happy at not having him in the dressing room.

According to The Telegraph’s sources, if it comes to that, Shoaib’s replacement may well be from among Andre Nel and Monde Zondeki, both South Africans, and Bangladesh’s Mashrafe Mortaza.

While Sourav’s views will be taken into account, coach John Buchanan is probably going to have the biggest say.

Or, will it actually be Shah Rukh, from behind the scenes?

As Shoaib was bought for $425,000 at the first IPL auction, in February, the Knight Riders can (technically) spend the same amount on his replacement.

Incidentally, the Vijay Mallya-owned Bangalore Royal Challengers have already moved the IPL’s governing council for a replacement as Australian Nathan Bracken (picked up for $325,000) is to undergo surgery.

Till yesterday evening, the IPL’s position was that Shoaib would be eligible as long as the PCB didn’t withdraw its no-objection certificate.

But, then, it’s only late last night that news came about Shoaib’s latest claim. That too in the middle of an India-South Africa series.

It couldn’t have been more ill-timed as the IPL’s governing council was meeting in Mumbai today.

The bookies bit, however, wasn’t mentioned by governing council chairman Lalit Modi, who made the persona non grata announcement.

“A big discussion has taken place…. He (Shoaib) has appealed… and, till the time he is cleared, the governing council will not be allowing him to play in the IPL,” Modi said.

Two of the three former India captains on the governing council, Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri, attended the meeting. Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi didn’t.

According to former BCCI president Inderjit Singh Bindra, the IPL couldn’t have barred Shoaib till the issue had been “discussed” by the governing council.

Bindra, the International Cricket Council’s principal adviser-designate, is one of its members.

“Our decision was reached unanimously, reflecting the mood on the issue,” he pointed out.

Footnote: Hours before the IPL-inflicted blow, Shoaib had told the media at home: “I will definitely play in the IPL as it’s a big league and I’m committed to play for the Kolkata Knight Riders.”