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Controversial and injury-plagued fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar once again got the selectors nod and was named in a 15-man squad for this month's Sharjah Cup starting Oct 26.

The squad would assemble at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium where a 10-day reconditioning camp begins Monday. Shoaib, who was reported for a suspect bowling action on the 1999 tour to Australia, was embroiled in another controversy on the tour to England this year when he deserted the Pakistan cricket team and opted to turn out for a English village side Lashings. Besides the paceman had not completed a full tour without getting injured.

Nevertheless, the Pakistan cricket administrators proved that Shoaib was their blue-eyed boy when they slapped a one- season ban on another joyrider paceman Mohammad Akram earlier this week for a similar offence.

Shoaib, since returning from England in August, has played in four domestic first-class matches. Though his performance with the ball is nothing to shout about, he has chipped in with some valuable runs besides proving his fitness by staying in the field throughout the matches.

However, Shoaib, who has 75 wickets from 45 one-dayers, will have to deliver something substantial to justify the selectors faith in him and PCB's decision to spend millions of rupees in on his medical bills.

One significant name missing from the squad is of off- spinner Saqlain Mushtaq who is yet to return from England after representing Surrey. According to officials, he is nursing his wife who is expecting their first child this month.

Shoaib Malik is the lone finger spinner in the side. Wrist spinner Danish Kaneria, who took 12 wickets in the Asian Test Championship opener against Bangladesh at Multan in August, has also been named for his maiden tour to the Sheikhdom. Also winning a berth from that record-making match was left-handed opener Taufiq Umer who slammed a century on debut.

Paceman Wasim Akram, who has taken six wickets in his last seven one-dayers, is also retained in the squad along with Inzamam-ul-Haq who will miss the first round matches of the double league competition because of a two-match suspension he received during the tri-nation one-day series final against Australia at Lord's in June.

Squad: Waqar Younis (National Bank, captain), Inzamam-ul-Haq (National, vice-captain), Taufiq Umer (Habib Bank), Saeed Anwar (Agriculture Development Bank of Pakistan), Shahid Afridi (Habib Bank), Younis Khan (Habib Bank), Yousuf Youhana (Pakistan International Airlines), Rashid Latif (Allied Bank, wicketkeeper), Wasim Akram (Pakistan International Airlines), Abdur Razzaq (Pakistan International Airlines), Azhar Mahmood (Pakistan International Airlines), Shoaib Malik (Pakistan International Airlines), Shoaib Akhtar (Khan Research Laboratory), Naved Latif (Allied Bank) and Danish Kaneria (Habib Bank).

Coach: Mudassar Nazar.

Assistant coach: Sikander Bakht.

Manager: Yawar Saeed.

Doctor: Dr Riaz.

Sharjah Cup schedule

Oct 26: Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe.

Oct 27: Pakistan v Sri Lanka.

Oct 28: Pakistan v Zimbabwe.

Oct 30: Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe.

Oct 31: Pakistan v Zimbabwe.

Nov 2: Pakistan v Sri Lanka.

Nov 4: Final.

© Dawn