Shoaib Akhtar has been banned for five years from international and domestic matches by the Pakistan Cricket Board.

The fast bowler was charged with publicly criticising the board at a disciplinary hearing in Rawalpindi.

"I am deeply disappointed and hurt, I will go to court and fight against the ban," said the 32-year-old.

But Shoaib, who had been on a two-year probation for attacking team-mate Mohammad Asif last year, can still play in the Twenty20 Indian Premier League.

Shoaib claimed he had been made the scapegoat after Pakistan's Test and one-day series defeats by rivals India at the end of last year.

And he hit out at the PCB when he was not given one of the 15 central contracts in January, refusing to sign a special retainer contract on offer instead.

The criticism proved to be the final straw for the PCB, who also reprimanded leg-spinner Danish Kaneria for criticising the board in his online column.

    
"It's a sad day for me and for Shoaib Akhtar. He is such a talented player. He (Shoaib) will be ineligible to play in Pakistan or to play for Pakistan anywhere else in the world,"

said PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf.

"The board has lost confidence in Shoaib Akhtar and therefore felt that his presence in the field was damaging to the Pakistan team, for Pakistan players and for the image of Pakistan cricket."

However, Shoaib has dismissed Ashraf's claims he was a negative influence.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/other_international/pakistan/7323360.stm