Pakistan Cricket Board’s legal advisor Tafazzul Rizvi filed a criminal as well as defamation suit against former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar for allegedly making inappropriate comments against him in a YouTube show.

Rizvi, the long serving legal advisor of the board, stated that he had initiated defamation and criminal proceedings against Akhtar and also lodged a complaint with the Federal Investigation Agency under its cyber crime laws.

Akhtar, who did a video on the three-year ban imposed on Umar Akmal, has also ended up irking the Pakistan Bar Council, where a statement cautioned him to be careful with his words while talking about the legal fraternity.

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The council, in particular, said it was disappointed to hear the comments Akhtar had made about Rizvi. “Shoaib Akhtar should be very careful in his discussions on matters pertaining to the legal community,” the statement said.

The PCB, in a statement, said it was disappointed with Akhtar’s poor choice of words while publicly commenting about the board’s legal department and its legal advisor.

“The language used by Akhtar was highly inappropriate and disrespectful, and cannot be condoned in any civilised society. The PCB’s legal advisor, Taffazul Rizvi, in his own discretion, has initiated defamation and criminal proceedings against Shoaib Akhtar, while the PCB too reserves its rights.”

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Akhtar, who has also got into trouble in the recent past because of comments made on his YouTube channel, defended Umar in a video and slammed the ban on him imposed by the disciplinary panel of the board.

He also mocked Tafazzul Rizvi and questioned his legal experience claiming he [Tafazzul] only complicated matters between the board and players.