Fitness tests await Shoaib, Gul

KARACHI: Pakistan cricket team management will make several national players go through extensive fitness tests next week before a 15-man squad is named for the one-day series against Australia starting in Abu Dhabi from April 22.

Sources told 'The News' on Friday that the focus of the entire exercise will be controversial pacer Shoaib Akhtar but a few other players will also be closely monitored before the squad is announced next week.

Two more players with a question mark hanging over their fitness are key strike bowler Umar Gul and bowling all-rounder Yasir Arafat.

Pakistan team management and national selectors have unanimously agreed to adopt a strict policy as far as the fitness of the players is concerned and have decided to only include 100 percent fit players in the UAE-bound squad.

There are two reasons why Pakistan are against the idea of showing any leniency over fitness matters.

One is the fact that the April 22-May 7 series against Australia will be played on sand-based grounds in Abu Dhabi and Dubai where even minor fitness problems can get aggravated into injuries.

Shoaib, 33, must be fully aware of this problem as he injured himself during a pre-series training session last November and was ruled out of all three One-day Internationals against the West Indies in Abu Dhabi.

Another reason why Pakistan are unwilling to take any chances as far as fitness of key players is concerned is the fact that they are planning to launch a forceful title campaign in the 2009 Twenty20 World Championship getting underway in England from June 5.

Pakistan, who made the final at the inaugural edition of the biennial spectacle in South Africa, are regarded as one of the favourites for the title.

Meanwhile, Shoaib is itching to make yet another international comeback after being dumped this January following an unimpressive return during the one-day series against Sri Lanka at home.

The 'Rawalpindi Express' has declared himself fully fit and says he is ready to return to national duty against Australia.

But the national selectors and team management are not convinced.

Sources said that they suspect Shoaib is yet to recover from a knee injury for which he was advised to undergo surgery last month. Shoaib has decided against it and says that the injury has healed without any operation.

But the Pakistan team think-tank wants to be fully sure which is why the fitness hurdle has been planned.

According to sources in the Pakistan team management, there will be a series of tests awaiting Shoaib and some other cricketers, who have been unable to prove their fitness during the ongoing One-day Cup.

The tests will be carried out at the start of a brief training camp in Lahore soon after the conclusion of the One-day Cup on April 1.

Chief selector Abdul Qadir will name the Pakistan team as soon as the tests are carried out.

Pakistan will train briefly in Lahore before leaving for Dubai where they would camp for more than a week ahead of the eagerly-awaited series.