The Pakistan Cricket Board filed an appeal with the International Cricket Council against a ban from one Test and two Limited Overs Internationals on Shoaib Akhtar for using abusive language in the on-going first cricket Test against South Africa in Lahore.

"The appeal has been filed because we believe we have a strong case," PCB spokesperson Haroon Rasheed said in a brief statement on Saturday.

"We are disappointed with the decision and surprised that the incident has been blown out of proportion," the PCB statement read.

Akhtar was found guilty by Match Referee Clive Lloyd of using language that was obscene, offensive or a generally insulting nature to another player in a hearing held Friday evening.

Earlier, South Africa had filed a protest to the Match Referee alleging that Akhtar had made objectionable remarks at Paul Adams on the first day.

"The appeal has been submitted with video footages. I think there have been more serious offences in this series that have gone unnoticed," Rasheed said.

Rasheed has also filed a three-page appeal to the ICC.

"It is a very argumentative and balanced letter," PCB sources said on condition of anonymity.

The PCB is also planning to submit video footages concerning South African Andrew Nel during the fourth and fifth one-day international at Rawalpindi.

"Nel's behaviour, gestures were of more serious nature than that of Shoaib Akhtar which has not been picked by the stump microphones. In addition to this, Shoaib was more than a dozen yards away from the batsman while Nel had almost put his mouth into Shoiab Malik's mouth," sources in the PCB said.

The Pakistan management further argues that medically the fast bowlers utter words because their blood pressure is on a high after they come sprinting from 25-30 yards.

"That's precisely why there are more confrontations and clashes in the game of hockey and football because the blood pressure of the players is not normal to that of a common man.

"Even in cricket, the spinners don't pass on remarks because their blood pressure remains normal."

The Pakistan management has also expressed its displeasure at South Africa making an issue off a non-issue.

"Everyone knows how this series has been rescued. And to make it a success we went out of our way to help, support and give comfort to the tourists.

"So much so, we even ignored the Yousuf Youhana incident during the second one-day international for which we were severely criticized by our people."