Speaking exclusively to PakPassion.net, former Pakistan pace bowler Mohammad Akram stated that if fit, Shoaib Akhtar should be on the plane for Pakistan's tour of Australia later this year.

"Touring Australia isn't for the faint hearted" stated the paceman who represented Pakistan on 32 occasions. "You need your experienced guys out there, you need the guys out there who won't be phased by the opposition players, you need the guys who aren't going to be intimidated out there".

Akram confirmed to PakPassion that Shoaib Akhtar had been staying with him in London as he recovered from knee surgery. "Shoaib was with me after his surgery that took place a couple of weeks ago. The surgeon was the same one that operated on Andrew Flintoff. Shoaib and the medics reckon it will be another couple of weeks before he is running around again. At the moment he is walking around freely without any problems. It seemed to me that Shoaib's recovery was going well and he was heeling quickly. However in my opinion he needs to lose quite a bit of weight", added Akram.

"Shoaib was in good spirits here in the UK and is optimistic about his chances to get back into the Pakistan team and he feels that he still has a couple of years of international cricket left in him. The hunger and desire to play for Pakistan is still very much there and in Shoaib's own words he wants to shut a few of the cricket writers out there who have already written him off", stated Akram.

Akram continued "Shoaib wants to work very hard when he's back in Pakistan and to start playing for KRL in the Quaid E Azam Trophy when he gets the go ahead from the medical experts. Once he's got some games in the Quaid E Azam Trophy under his belt, then who knows the selectors may pick him for the series in Australia" added Akram, who was widely regarded as one of Pakistan's fastest ever bowlers.

Responding to a question regarding whether he thought Shoaib deserved a place in the Pakistan squad for the tour of Australia, Akram stated "Pakistan have not played a lot of test cricket in recent times and obviously it is a totally different game to one day cricket. Fast bowlers are ok when it comes to playing a few one dayers back to back, but when it comes to test cricket, a bowlers fitness is thoroughly tested".

"Playing back to back test matches may be a bit too much for some of Pakistan's up and coming young bowlers. The selectors need to realise that the fitness of Umar Gul and Mohammad Aamer will be thoroughly tested and I'm not sure that these 2 and their backups will stay fit for the whole series. The way things are looking, I think Pakistan will need to take 36 players to Australia".