KARACHI: Pakistan's controversial fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar will have to wait for his visa to play in the four-nation tournament in Toronto next month as the Cricket Board has still not been able to get the clearance for him.
Shoaibs name was sent in a shortlist of players for the four-nation tournament starting from October 10 but the Board was unable to obtain a visa for him.
"He was in England playing for Surrey and we didnt have his passport. So he has to wait. We will now send his name in the second list most probably," one board official said.
Shoaib will also know by next week from the Lahore High Court whether he can play in Pakistan and for Pakistan without paying a fine of seven million rupees imposed on him by the appellate tribunal of the Board.
The tribunal had reduced his five year ban to 18 months but instead enforced the seven million rupees fine which the fast bowler has not paid as yet.
The Board has sought clear directives from the High Court if the pacer can play without clearing the fine first. The court has asked Shoaib to appear in person in court at the next hearing.
Meanwhile, the selectors and Board have made some changes to the list of probables adding the name of senior batsman Mohammad Yousuf and dropping young Ahmed Shahzad after he was found guilty of violating the team code in Nairobi with the Pakistan academy team touring there.
A national selector confirmed Yousufs name included in the list of players for whom visas were being obtained because they wanted to see how he performed in the national T20 championship beginning from October 4 in Lahore
"He has been talking about the selectors being unjust with him and not considering him for T20 cricket. So we want to see how he performs in the national event," he said
Yousuf, who has played in 79 Tests and 269 one-day internationals has only once been picked in Pakistans T20 team in 2006 and was overlooked for last years World Cup in South Africa where Pakistan reached the final losing to India.
The selectors are due to announce a 15-member squad for the Toronto event which also features Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Canada during the National T20 Championship from October 4 to 8 in Lahore.
Yousuf recently criticised the selectors for ignoring him for Twenty20 cricket claiming his experience would be a boost for the team even in this form of the game.
