Thank you Younis Khan: Shoaib Akhtar unmoved despite defamation case

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has thanked legendary batsman Younis Khan for supporting his claims about the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)’s legal advisor Tafazzul Rizvi.

Rizvi has sent Rs.100 million notice to former Pakistan pacer Akhtar for his defamatory remarks regarding the Umar Akmal case. Rizvi has asked Akhtar to retract his statement while tendering an unconditional apology.

Akhtar, while speaking on a local news channel and his YouTube channel on Tuesday, had accused Rizvi of having a personal agenda against Pakistan cricketers, after the board announced a three-year ban on middle-order batsman Akmal.

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Speaking on the issue, the 2009 T20 World Cup winning Pakistan captain, Younis, had asked PCB to honestly evaluate Akhtar’s remarks.

“What a befitting and bitter truth spoken by Shoaib Akhtar! It takes a backbone to be simply uncompromisingly forthright. Time for the PCB to honestly evaluate his remarks for the betterment of Pakistan Cricket and its players. I stand by with #ShoaibAkhtar,” said Younis in a tweet.

Quoting the aforementioned tweet, Akhtar said: “Thank you Younis Khan for further substantiating my claim.”

Thank you @YounusK75 for further substantiating my claim. https://t.co/IH4JsVbDuW

— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) April 30, 2020

Later, Akhtar also issued a reiterated his stance on the matter while confirming that he had received a notice from Rizvi.

“I've received a notice from Tafazzul Rizvi which is based on lies and fabrications. I've engaged Mr Salman Khan Niazi as my lawyer to send befitting legal reply on my behalf to said notice. I stand by my words regarding incompetence and unsatisfactory performance of Mr. Rizvi,” said Akhtar in a tweet.

I've received a notice from Tafazzul Rizvi which is based on lies & fabrications. I've engaged Mr @SalmanKNiazi1 as my lawyer to send befitting legal reply on my behalf to said notice. I stand by my words regarding incompetence & unsatisfactory performance of Mr. Rizvi.

— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) May 1, 2020

The 44-year-old, Akhtar, featured in 46 Tests and 163 ODIs for Pakistan, in which he bagged 178 and 247 wickets respectively. He also took 19 T20I wickets in 15 appearances.