Former pacer Shoaib Akhtar on Friday (May 1) said that he stood by his comments about Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) legal advisor Tafazzul Rizvi and would send a ‘befitting reply’ to the latter’s defamation lawsuit.

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Taking to Twitter, Akhtar wrote: "I've received a notice from Tafazzul Rizvi which is based on lies & fabrications. I've engaged @SalmanKNiazi1 as my lawyer to send befitting legal reply on my behalf to said notice. I stand by my words regarding incompetence & unsatisfactory performance of Rizvi."

Earlier this week, PCB imposed a three-year ban on Umar Akmal for not reporting a fixing offer. Subsequently, Shoaib uploaded a video on his YouTube channel and slammed the board for not taking strict action against tainted players in the past. He also termed PCB’s legal team as incompetent.

Akhtar’s remarks didn’t go down well with Rizvi as he initiated defamation and criminal proceedings against the Rawalpindi Express.

"The PCB is disappointed with Shoaib Akhtar's poor choice of words while publically commenting about the PCB's legal department and its legal advisor. The language used by Shoaib Akhtar was highly inappropriate and disrespectful, and cannot be condoned in any civilized society," PCB had said in a statement.

"The PCB's legal advisor, Taffazul Rizvi, in his own discretion, has initiated defamation and criminal proceedings against Shoaib Akhtar, while the PCB too reserves its rights," it added.

Meanwhile, former Pakistan skipper Younis Khan on Thursday (April 30) came out in support of Akhtar and tweeted: "What a befitting and bitter truth spoken by @shoaib100mph! It takes a backbone to be simply uncompromisingly forthright. Time for @TheRealPCB to honestly evaluate his remarks for the betterment of Pakistan Cricket and its players. I stand by with #ShoaibAkhtar."

(With ANI inputs)