Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar is returning home later this week after he was ruled out of further action because of sore knees.

"The team and local doctors in South Africa examined his knees that are sore after playing on softer grounds. Although his injury is not serious, he still requires proper rest and treatment. Therefore, it has been decided to call him back so that he can be treated by the PCB panel of doctors," a spokesman of the PCB said on Wednesday.

Shoaib, who was also named for the two-Test series starting December 26, will return home on December 21 along with Wasim Akram, Rashid Latif and Misbah-ul-Haq.

In the meantime, the team management has asked for Saeed Anwar as a replacement but no decision has been taken.

"The team management has requested that a specialist opener in Saeed Anwar be flown to South Africa for the two Tests. But we have not taken any decision because several factors have to be taken into consideration before we reach a decision. We don't want to take the decision in haste. I am in contact with my fellow selectors but the final decision will be taken on Thursday," chairman of selectors Wasim Bari said.

"The team management feels that they were self-sufficient as far as fast bowlers were concerned. But they feel that they need an experienced hand on top of the order," Bari said.

Besides skipper Waqar Younis, Mohammad Sami and Mohammad Zahid are the other fast bowlers along with Abdul Razzaq.

Samiul Hasan
GM – Media
December 18,2002

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