Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar has accepted the apology of Dr Nauman Niaz, after his on-screen spat with the PTV Sports anchorperson.

Taking to Twitter, Akhtar said that he is “taking a higher moral ground” and wants to “move on” from this “unpleasant incident”.

Akhtar quit live on air after facing “rude and obnoxious” behaviour during a show on PTV Sports, hosted by Niaz, few days back.

In a post-match show, after Pakistan’s win over New Zealand, Akhtar and Niaz were involved in a verbal spat while discussing the impact of Lahore Qalandars’ Player Development Program (PDP) on pacers Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf’s performance.

“You’re being a little rude and I don’t want to say this: but if you’re being over smart, you can go. I am saying this on air,” Niaz told Akhtar before switching to a commercial break.

Soon after, PTV decided to take Niaz and Akhtar off-air and a committee was formed to investigate the incident.

Later, Niaz apologised to Akhtar while stating that the “repercussions of his on-air outburst was totally fair”.

“To err is human, that should not have happened and for that I can apologise not only once but a million times. I know I hurt the sentiments of a lot of people and that includes Shoaib Akhtar, who has been a rollicking star… regardless of the fact that it was his mistake or not,” said Niaz on Rauf Klasra’s YouTube channel.