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Pakistan’s pace star Shoaib Akhtar will make his international return early next month when he turns up for Asia in a series of three one-dayers against Africa for the Afro-Asia Cup in India.

Shoaib, 31, who made himself unavailable for a three-match series against Sri Lanka starting in Abu Dhabi next week over fitness issues, was on Friday named in a star-studded 14-man team led by Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene.

A four-man selection committee whose members belonged to Asia’s four Test-playing nations — Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka — picked the team that includes Sri Lankan star Sanath Jayasuriya, Indian maestro Sachin Tendulkar and Pakistan’s Mohammad Yousuf.

The selectors — AFM Farooque (Bangladesh), Chetan Chauhan (India), Mohsin Khan (Pakistan) and Lalith Kaluperuma (Sri Lanka) — met in Dhaka on Friday to select Asia’s ODI and Twenty20 squads for the second edition of the Afro-Asia Cup to be played in the South Indian cities of Bangalore and Chennai.

The three one-dayers would be played on June 6 (Bangalore) and June 9 and 10 in Chennai and would be preceded by a Twenty20 game between Asia and Africa on June 5. The ODIs have been granted international status by the International Cricket Council.

Shoaib missed the World Cup due to fitness and doping-related problems. His last international appearance was in the second Test against South Africa in January when he took four wickets but limped out of the match because of a hamstring injury. Pakistan won the Test.

Of the three Asian giants, Pakistan are the least represented in Asia’s ODI squad. After Shoaib and Yousuf, medium pacer Mohammad Asif is the only other Pakistani in the team that includes five Sri Lankans, an equal number of Indians and a Bangladeshi.

It has been learnt that the Pakistani selector also pushed the case of new captain Shoaib Malik and all-rounder Shahid Afridi. The duo, however, just managed to find berths in the Twenty20 squad.

All five Sri Lankans in Asia’s squad featured in the World Cup final in Barbados on April 28 against Australia. Jayawardene was expectedly named the skipper as an acknowledgment of the in-form batsman’s excellent leadership in the World Cup. Pacers Chaminda Vaas, Lasith Malinga and flamboyant young opener Upul Tharanga also got the selectors’ nod.

The Sri Lankans could have had a bigger representation in the Asian squad but two of their star players — Muttiah Muralitharan and Kumar Sangakkara — were unavailable for the Afro-Asia Cup because of English county commitments.

Indian skipper Rahul Dravid also opted out of the contest because of personal reasons but five of his team-mates — Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh — were picked in the team.

Shoaib Malik would lead Asia in the series-opening Twenty20 international in Bangalore. His team is dominated by Pakistanis including Afridi, Kamran Akmal and opener Imran Nazir.

According to Asian Cricket Council officials, the twenty20 game would be contested by reserve players from both the sides.

Former Indian Test cricketer Roger Binny was nominated as Asia’s coach. The inaugural Afro-Asia Cup was played in South Africa in 2005 and ended at 1-1 after the final match was washed out.

South African skipper Graeme Smith would lead Africa that includes top players from the continent’s leading teams.

Asia’s one-day squad: Mahela Jayawardene (SL, capt), Sanath Jayasuriya

(SL), Sachin Tendulkar (Ind), Virender Sehwag (Ind), Upul Tharanga (SL), Mohammad Yousuf (Pak), Yuvraj Singh (Ind), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Ind, wk), Harbhajan Singh (Ind), Chaminda Vaas (SL), Shoaib Akhtar (Pak), Lasith Malinga (SL), Mohammad Rafique (Ban), Mohammad Asif (Pak).

Asia’s Twenty20 team: Tamim Iqbal (Ban), Imran Nazir (Pak), Mohammad Ashraful (Ban), Shoaib Malik (Pak, capt), Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL), Shahid Afridi (Pak), Kamran Akmal (Pak, wk), Farveez Maharoof (SL), Abdur Razzak (Ban), Mashrafe Mortaza (Ban), Munaf Patel (Ind).

Africa squad: Graeme Smith (SA, capt), Steve Tikolo (Ken, vice-capt), Johan Botha (SA), Mark Boucher (SA, wk), Elton Chigumbura (Zim), AB de Villiers (SA), Herchelle Gibbs (SA), Andrew Hall (SA), Jacques Kallis (SA), Makhaya Ntini (SA), Thomas Odoyo (Ken), Peter Ongondo (Ken), Shaun Pollock (SA), Vusi Sibanda (Zim), Hiren Varaiya (Ken).

Source:The News