Surrey eye Shoaib deal

Surrey are close to sealing a deal for fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar © Getty Images

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Surrey are hoping to sign Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar to help their fight against relegation over the next month.

Currently bottom of the LV County Championship Division One table by 18 points with only three matches to play, Surrey are strong favourites to be one of the two teams to go down.

But cricket manager Alan Butcher is planning to have Shoaib available in time for next week’s crunch match against title-chasing Kent at Canterbury.

“We have made contact, we have spoken with him. We are just waiting to see whether it’s possible,” said Butcher.

“We’ve got three matches left and we need something to happen.”

One potential snag is legal documentation which requires all overseas players to spend at least three weeks in this country.

Shoaib, 33, is hoping to press his claims for a recall to the Pakistan team, with his five-year ban following altercations with the national board recently rescinded.

In those circumstances, Surrey hope his prospective spell at the Brit Oval may prove mutually beneficial.

“They (overseas players) have to be here for a period of 21 days,” Butcher confirmed.

“But he is keen. He’s desperate to get back into the Pakistan side and is hoping this could be a springboard to do that.

“If it does go through, we hope it could be of great benefit to us all.”

Shoaib - who played the last of his 46 Tests last December, shortly after his final one-day international - was recalled to the Pakistan squad for the ICC Champions Trophy, which should have taken place next month but has been postponed because of security concerns.

He has previously played for Worcestershire and Durham and also signed for Nottinghamshire but never made it on to the pitch.

Surrey already have Australia pace bowler Matt Nicholson registered as an overseas player, and it seems he will have to make way if the Shoaib signing goes through.