London, Sept 6 : Surrey county coach Alan Butcher has said that he was still hopeful that Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar will be able to play their final two championship matches of the season.

Akhtar had arrived in the UK on Wednesday, but was found to have the wrong type of visa, preventing him from taking the field against Kent at Canterbury.

"There is still an outside chance of him coming," the Daily Times quoted Butcher as saying in an interview with The Times.

The coach added: "He had the same visa he used when he played for Somerset, Worcestershire and Durham, but the regulations have changed and he is trying to get a different one."

ANI