Shoaib Akhtar gets legal notice from cricket historian for defamation

Karachi: Nauman Niaz, a well-known cricket historian, writer and television personality has sent a notice to former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar for discrediting and defaming him.

Dr. Niaz, a former Director of Sports at the state-owned Pakistan Television Network, has sent the notice through his lawyer after Shoaib allegedly described him as a "kit man" during his time with the Pakistan team.

"Dr Nauman basically used to carry our bags luggage for us in the team," Shoaib said on a podcast.

Dr Nauman served as the data analyst of the Pakistan team on a couple of tours some years back when Shoaib was playing for his country.

Deriding the role of coaches, managers in the team, Shoaib went onto narrate about how Dr Niaz was in the team to carry bags of the players.

“That is what he did in the team. I don’t know about anything else he did,” he added.

In the notice, the lawyer has demanded an unconditional apology in 14-days time or face legal action and damages.

The two have a history of clashes and during the time of Imran Khan’s government, Dr Niaz asked Shoaib to leave a live show on PTV after a minor dispute.

On intervention of a minister, he later apologised to the fast bowler and the two apparently settled their dispute.