Shoaib, Asif and Shabbir summoned to S.Africa tour camp

KARACHI, Dec 18 (Reuters) Fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, who were cleared of doping charges two weeks ago, have been included in a shortlist of players for Pakistan's tour of South Africa from January.

The Pakistan selectors have also recalled pacer Shabbir Ahmed whose 12-month ban for an illegal bowling action, imposed by the International Cricket Council (ICC), ends tomorrow.

Twenty-five players have been named on the shortlist, including a second wicketkeeper in Zulqarnain Haider following concerns over the performance of Kamran Akmal.

Pakistan will play three tests and five one-day internationals in South Africa.

''The players will attend a short conditioning camp in Lahore next week before the final squad is announced,'' a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) spokesman said.

Akhtar and Asif were exonerated of doping earlier this month and had their long-term bans set aside by a PCB appeals panel.

In November, they had been banned for two years and one year respectively after testing positive for the steroid.

The pair, who were recalled from the Champions Trophy in India after the positive tests, were cleared after the appeal panel ruled they had not been given sufficient warning that supplements they were taking could be contaminated with banned substances.

Akhtar played his first competitive match since August last week in the Patrons Trophy first-class tournament.

The PCB yesterday announced Inzamam-ul-Haq as captain for the South Africa tour and next year's World Cup.

Pakistan probables: Inzamam-ul-Haq (captain), Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Imran Farhat, Mohammad Hafeez, Yasir Hameed, Faisal Iqbal, Asim Kamal, Salman Butt, Abdul Razzaq, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Yasir Arafat, Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Asif, Umar Gul, Shabbir Ahmed, Mohammad Sami, Rana Naved, Shahid Nazir, Danish Kaneria, Abdul Rehman, Zulqarnain Haider, Rao Iftikhar.

Reuters DH DB2034