KARACHI: Temperamental Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar got a respite as the Lahore High Court yesterday suspended the 18-month ban on the controversial bowler, allowing him to play until a final decision is taken on the issue.

The court, however, did not remove the seven million rupees fine that was imposed on Shoaib last month by an appellate tribunal which heard his appeal against the original five-year ban imposed on him by the Pakistan Cricket Board in April.

The PCB had banned the bowler for five years for violating a two-year probation period and other counts of indiscipline.

Shoaib then filed a writ petition in the High Court against the ban and a separate application to stay the ban.

"The court today retained the fine but suspended the ban and he is now available for selection. But first of all he has to pay the fine of 7 million rupees. Yesterday was the last working day of the honourable High Court and some kind of stay had to be given to him otherwise the writ petition could not have been heard before September," said Tafazzul Rizvi, PCB's legal counsel.

"The court will now hear his writ petition and arguments for and against it sometime in September and only then will it decide on lifting the ban and dropping the fine.

"We have not seen the full order of the court as yet but we will show full respect the decision of the court," Rizvi added.