Shoaib set to face Australia

Shoaib Akhtar and Younus Khan enjoy a light moment at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium

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Controversial fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has been named in a 15-man Pakistan squad for the one-day series against Australia in Abu Dhabi.

Shoaib was dropped from the one-day team following a poor performance in the first two matches against Sri Lanka in February.

He was also overlooked for the Test series against Sri Lanka due to a knee injury.

Shoaib was among 20 players put through rigorous fitness tests in Karachi last week and chief selector Abdul Qadir was pleased with his performance.

Pakistan are scheduled to play five one-dayers and a twenty20 international against Australia in Abu Dhabi and Dubai from April 22 to May 7.

Meanwhile, Pakistan have also named their preliminary squad for the World Twenty20 in England. Their final 15-man party will be announced in June.

Pakistan squad: Younus Khan (captain), Salman Butt, Nasir Jamshed, Misbah-ul-Haq, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal (wicketkeeper), Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Iftikhar Anjum, Sohail Tanvir, Yasir Arafat, Fawad Alam, Ahmad Shahzad and Saeed Ajmal.

Provisional World Twenty20 squad: Younus Khan, Salman Butt, Nasir Jamshed, Khalid Latif, Shahzab Hasan, Umar Amin, Ahmed Shahzad, Misbah-ul-Haq, Kamran Younis, Faisal Iqbal, Fawad Alam, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir, Yasir Arafat, Umar Gul, Iftikhar Anjum, Aitzaz Cheema, Mohammad Aamir, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Wahab Riaz, Imran Ali, Shoaib Akhtar, Danish Kaneria, Yasir Shah, Kamran Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Imran Nazir, Abdul Rehman.