Pakistan's Shoaib may play one-dayers in England

KARACHI, June 14 (Reuters) Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has an outside chance of figuring in the one-day series against England after an ankle injury saw him excluded from the test squad.

''The latest scan reports we have got from abroad say he needs to rest for six to eight weeks,'' the Pakistan Cricket Board's director of cricket operations, Saleem Altaf, told Reuters.

''The indications are that he will be ready for the one-dayers but that depends on how his rehabilitation goes and the selectors and team management,'' he added.

Shoaib, 30, was not included in the 16-man touring squad announced for the four tests in England starting at Lord's on July 13 as a stress fracture in his ankle has not healed properly.

The Pakistani selectors will make changes for the Twenty20 match and five one-day internationals following the tests.

Shoaib, Pakistan's most successful bowler in contemporary cricket with 165 test and 199 one-day wickets, has not played since January's final test against India at Karachi.

Pakistan's bowling coach Waqar Younis, who is training the selected bowlers in a preparatory camp in Lahore, said although Shoaib's pace would be missed the others are capable of adjusting well to English conditions.

''They are all experienced performers with lot of skills. We have a good balanced and potent attack for England,'' he said.

In Shoaib's absence the pace attack revolves around Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Sami, Rana Naved, Shahid Nazir and Umar Gul.

REUTERS PM VV1530