The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Lahore

An appeal tribunal Saturday reduced Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar's five-year ban to 18 months and imposed a seven million rupee (105,000 dollar) fine.

"We have in consensus decided that the ban on Akhtar is reduced to one-and-a-half years and impose a fine of seven million rupees," the three-member tribunal chief Justice Aftab Farrukh told reporters.

He said one member of the tribunal suggested scrapping the ban but increasing the financial penalty to 20 million rupees.

The 32-year-old paceman was banned for five years on a series of discipline charges on April 1 this year. The ban was last month suspended for 30 days to allow the fiery paceman to play in a domestic event in India.