A Pakistan Cricket Board tribunal have deferred a decision on Shoaib Akhtar's appeal against a five-year ban until June 14.

Akhtar was banned by the PCB on disciplinary grounds.

The PCB had imposed a two-year ban on the fast bowler after he hit Mohammad Asif with a bat in a dressing room altercation just before the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa.

The career-threatening five-year ban came after Shoaib publicly criticised the PCB's allocation of central contracts earlier this year.

Shoaib's own contract had been downgraded by the PCB.

"We need more time to study the evidence," said tribunal chief Justice Farrukh Aftab.

Other members of the appellate tribunal include former Test cricketer Haseeb Ahsen and Naveed Chaudhry, who was included only last week after Salmaan Taseer took over as Governor of Punjab.

The tribunal had temporarily lifted the ban to allow Shoaib to participate in the Indian Premier League. He had a brief stint with the Kolkata Knight Riders.

More news from SportingLife.com

Live scorecards from SportingLife.com