Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan has said he would not apologise to Shoaib Akhtar for instituting a medical inquiry to verify his injury claims and that the express pacer will undergo a fitness and attitude test to be considered for future selection.
Khan spelt out his tough stance against the Rawalpindi Express while addressing the media following a three-hour grilling he and his PCB colleagues received from a Senate committee that sought explanations for the national team's humiliating defeat against India in the recent home series.
Asked for his response to former captain Imran Khan's remarks that the PCB had insulted Akhtar by instituting an inquiry, Khan said the setting up of medical commission was a damage control exercise to preserve the morale of the team after the fast bowler refused to take the field on the third day of the series-deciding Test against India in Rawalpindi.
"The manager, the coach and the captain of the Pakistan team were annoyed with the attitude of Shoaib (Akhtar) during the recent series and he caused a decline in the morale of the whole team," the PCB chief said.
"The overall attitude of Shoaib will also be tested in the future along with his form and fitness to include him in the team," he added.
PCB chief executive Ramiz Raja, who was also present at the press conference said, "Shoaib creates problems for coach, captain and that is the reason why we want him to be more responsible."
Khan also criticised at the youngsters in the team, stating that they did not know the basics of Test cricket.
"Our batsmen failed to understand the need for defensive play and badly failed to defend their team on the fourth day of Rawalpindi Test," he said.
"They need to learn defensive techniques of Test cricket from the start of their career in academies."
He also said the Indo-Pak series was the best organised sporting event which fetched the PCB a profit of Rs. 7 crore besides a sponsorship revenue of Rs. 125 crore.
"That is many times higher than the money Pakistan earned for organising the 1996 World Cup," he said.
Khan denied any attempts to replace Raja as the CEO of the Board but said a few "fundamental decisions" were in the offing after an advisory committee meeting scheduled to be held on June 4.
