Shoaib eligible to play final one-dayer v Sout

Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar will be eligible to play in the fifth and final one-day international against South Africa on Oct. 29, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Friday.The board's disciplinary committee on Thursday imposed a 13-match ban and 3.4 million rupees ($56,000) fine on Shoaib for four misconduct charges, including hitting team mate Mohammad Asif with a bat before the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa.Shafqat Naghmi, the PCB's chief operating officer, clarified that the ban period had started the day after the incident on Sept. 7 when team manager Talat Ali sent Shoaib home."Since his ban period started immediately it covers seven matches of the Twenty20 World Cup and also the two tests against South Africa," Naghmi told Reuters."This means he will have completed his 13-match ban by the fourth one-dayer and will be eligible for selection for the final game in Karachi," he said.Shoaib has played 43 tests and 133 one-dayers but has not taken part in any competitive cricket since he limped out of the second test against South Africa in January with a hamstring injury.The 32-year-old has played just one test and four one-dayers since February 2006 due to fitness and other problems.He was suspended for two years in 2006 after testing positive for the banned substance nandrolone but was later cleared of doping offences.

Pakistan's Butt fined for umpiring outburst

Pakistan's vice captain Salman Butt has been fined 50 percent of his match fee for his outburst against some of the umpiring decisions in the test series against South Africa.International Cricket Council (ICC) match referee Alan Hurst said Butt had been fined after being found guilty of public criticism and inappropriate comment on a match-related incident or match official.Butt criticised some umpiring decisions on Thursday during the second test, saying they had gone against Pakistan.

Symonds racially abused in India say Australian cricket officials Sayz:

Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds was racially abused with monkey chants during his side's one-day win over India in Vadodara, Cricket Australia said Friday.Cricket Australia said the national side's only black player complained about the noises made by some sections of the crowd as he fielded near the boundary during Thursday's victory.A Cricket Australia spokesman said the organisation would not be seeking further action over the incident."The matter will be left in the hands of the local authorities," he told AFP.The abuse was widely reported in Australian newspapers, with the Sydney Morning Herald saying the monkey chants were similar to those that have plagued European football for years.Sydney's Daily Telegraph said thousands of spectators were involved in the abuse, prompting ground authorities to flash the International Cricket Council's anti-racism code on the replay screen.The Australian newspaper quoted Baroda Cricket Association chief executive Makarand Waingankar as saying he was disappointed with the Vadodara crowd's behaviour."Like any cricket centre we cannot tolerate this sort of behaviour; racism should not exist in India," Waingankar said.Symonds has been involved in a running feud with Indian paceman Shantha Sreesanth during the tour of the subcontinent.The Indian series has been clouded by ill temper, stemming in part from discontent within the Australian camp at the way India's players celebrated their semi-final win over Australia in the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa.