Lahore, Mar. 4 : Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has not been included in the Pakistan cricket team for the tour of Bangladesh that gets underway from the next week.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday announced a 16 member squad for the forthcoming Bangladesh tour.

According to sources, the selection committee did not consider Akhtar for the selection, as he was not hundred percent fit.

Karachi, Feb 17 : Pakistan's chief selector Abdul Qadir has said that he will give Shoaib Akhtar a fair hearing before taking a decision on whether the fast bowler is ready for a return to international cricket during next month's one-day series in Bangladesh.

Qadir said that he is not fully aware of Shoaib's form and fitness and will like to meet the pacer soon to hear him out before a decision is made to recall the player.

Karachi, Jan. 30 : The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to give Shoaib Akhtar one more chance to prove his fitness ahead of the forthcoming two match Test series against Sri Lanka.

According to The News, PCB will be organising two special trial matches next month during which Akhtar's performance will be judged, and a final decision on whether to include him for the Test series or not will be made.

Ahktar, who is struggling to regain his form and fitness, made a comeback in the international arena after a long gap of 14 months, in the recently concluded one-day series against Sri Lanka.

Karachi, Jan 23: One of Pakistan's most feared fast bowlers, Shoaib Akhtar, is no longer in the reckoning as the team management and PCB officials are concerned.

After surviving career-threatening injuries, dope related controversies, questions over his bowling action, discipline related bans and hefty fines during his 12-year international career, the Rawalpindi Express has not been selected for the third one day international against Sri Lanka.

Lahore, Jan. 8 : Controversy doesn't seems to leave Shoaib Akhtar; just when it seemed that he was on his way back to the playing arena, another one is in the making after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) gave him a central contract despite a court case against him being still pending, and his long standing involvement in indiscipline and fitness issues.

Former players and cricket officials have openly criticized the PCB for giving Akhtar a contract in the `A' category.

According to the fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, Pakistani Twenty20 league would encourage foreign teams to tour the country.