Shoaib Akhtar has been asked by the Pakistan Television Corporation to pay an amount of ₹ 100 million as damages along with an amount of ₹ 33,33,000, equivalent to a three-month salary to the organization.
Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV), on Sunday, November 7, served the former pacer, popularly known as Rawalpindi Express, with a defamation notice of Rs 100 million after he spat with anchor Dr. Nauman Niaz during a TV show. On Tuesday, October 26, the anchor had asked the 46-year-old Shoaib Akhtar to leave the show, ‘Game On Hai’, after which the latter resigned from the channel.
Shoaib Akhtar Asked To Pay Hefty Fine After Resigning On Air Which Incurred Huge Financial Losses To PTV
Shoaib Akhtar was one of the panellists on the show, along with West Indies’ Viv Richards and England’s David Gower. In the notice, the broadcast mentioned that the pacer’s resignation was a violation of the clause and resulted in massive financial losses to PTV Sports.
“As per clause 22, both sides shall have right to terminate his agreement by serving three months’ written notice or payment in lieu thereof. Whereas, Akhtar resigned on air on October 26 which has resulted in huge financial losses to PTV,” the notice read.
In the notice, Shoaib Akhtar was also accused of featuring in a show organized by an Indian channel without serving a required notice period. The show also featured veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh.
“You [Akhtar] also left Dubai during T20 World Cup transmission without any prior information to PTVC management. Besides, appearance on an Indian TV show along with Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh, also caused irreparable losses to PTV,” it stated.
As per the notice, Shoaib Akhtar also made himself absent from the ‘Game On Hai’ show that began on October 17, 2021, whereas as per clause one is bound to appear on PTV Sports throughout the World Cup.
Shoaib Akhtar Pledged To Fight The Legal Battle After Being Asked To Pay A Hefty Amount To PTV For Losses Incurred
Shoaib Akhtar has now been asked to pay a hefty amount of Rs 100 million as damages to go with an amount of “Rs3,333,000, equivalent to a three-month salary”. Amidst the controversy, Shoaib Akhtar dropped in a tweet where he expressed his disappointment and agony over the entire fiasco. However, the retired pacer also said that “I am a fighter”, and pledged to fight the legal battle with the help of his lawyer, Abuzar Salman Khan Niazi.
He took to Twitter and wrote, “Utterly Disappointed. After miserably failing to safeguard my respect & repute while I was working for PTV, they have now sent me a Recovery Notice.”
A video widely circulated on social media late last month had shown that Shoaib Akhtar walked out of Pakistan Television (PTV) program while discussing the Pakistan-New Zealand T20 World Cup match. The pacer and Dr. Nauman Niaz remained on air after the break, but the former eventually decided to leave the show after apologizing to the other guests, which included cricket greats like Sir Viv Richards and David Gower.
The problem began apparently when Shoaib Akhtar ignored the line of questioning by the host and decided to talk about pacer Haris Rauf instead.
Later, the pacer explained the incident on his official Twitter account through a brief video and a couple of tweets. Giving his side of the story, the pacer tweeted and posted a video, saying that Dr. Nauman Niaz had been “obnoxious” and that he was quitting the show.