Akram's alcohol advert costly

[Donny]

Wasim fined $574,000 for ad

From correspondents in Lahore - Fox


A CIVIL court has fined Wasim Akram after he failed to appear to defend charges of hurting religious sentiments by modelling in an Indian liquor advertisement, officials said today.

"Judge Musheer Rao gave ex-parte decision against Wasim as he did not appear before the court despite being summoned through newspaper advertisement," a court official said.

The 37-year-old record-breaking pacman was summoned in September following a private petition charging that he damaged Muslim sentiment for posing in a liquor advertisement.

The petition, filed by civilian Mohammad Fayyaz, demanded a public apology from Wasim and payment of damages amounting to 25,000 rupees (about $574,000).

The judge accepted the plea and ordered Wasim to pay damages and apologise, court officials said.

Wasim is one of eight international players who modelled for the Indian company Royal Stag.

Others included India's Harbhajan Singh, Australia's Glen McGrath, Jonty Rhodes of South Africa, Mervyn Dillon of the West Indies, Stephen Fleming of New Zealand, Marvan Atapattu of Sri Lanka and Andy Flower of Zimbabwe.

Wasim denied the accusations, saying he worked for an Indian company which also manufactures sports equipment.

Wasim's lawyer Chaudhry Fawwad said his client never received any summons and if he receives a court order he will fight the case which he described as baseless.

"Such frivolous petitions are an act to seek publicity," said Fawwad.

Wasim retired from the game in May after achieving the unique feat of taking more than 400 wickets in both Tests and one-day matches.

He has since become a television commentator.

[Donny]

I thought these figures looked a bit suss.

I just did a check of foreign exchange rates and 25,000 Rupees = $552 US or $731 Oz.

[Donny]

Received from FoxSports:

Dear Don,

Thank you for taking the time to contact FOXSPORTS.com.au.

This article has been updated.


Thanks again for contacting us and if you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact us.

Regards,

The team at FOXSPORTS.com.au

--Original Message--
From: donny@magpies.net
Date: 03/09/04
To: help.news@news.com.au
Subject: (foxsports) Feedback from the FOX SPORTS website[#556015]

mailToAddress: help.news@news.com.au, janzc@news.com.au
uName: Don Croft
mailFromAddress: donny@magpies.net
Location: Toonumbar. NSW

Comments: Please check the figures mentioned in the article about Wasim Akram. They seem wildly inacurate. 25,000 rupees is said to be worth over half a million dollars. 25,000 rupees is about 552 US dollars.

[Joel]

BWUHAHA, someone stuffed up the calculation. Maybe the should have used an automatic converter on the net, rathen trying to do the equation themselves. HAHA! It basically stuffs up their whole article. Who cares if he was only fine $500 US odd?

[Yobbo^LuKa]

As my Indians mates Dad would say... "You Bloody Dirty Bugga"