Akhtar and Asif in provisional tour squad

Pakistan have included Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif in their preliminary 25-man squad for next month's tour of South Africa, despite continuing uncertainty over their doping cases.

Although the pair were cleared on appeal after initially being banned for testing positive for the illegal steroid nandrolone, they could still be barred after the World Anti-Doping Agency last week decided to challenge the lifting of the ban in the Court of Arbitration of Sports in Switzerland.

However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has insisted the doping matter is at an end, and chief selector Wasim Bari said Akhtar and Asif would be selected on the basis of fitness. He told AFP: "We have no specific instructions about Akhtar and Asif and we think both are available for selection, so their fitness will be judged in the camp." He went on to add that in all likelihood the World Cup squad would be named from within the 25.

Also recalled to the initial squad is fast bowler Shabbir Ahmed, who was banned for one year for an illegal bowling action. He has now been cleared by biomechanic experts in Australia, although his selection will be subject to clearance by the ICC.

Pakistan will fly to South Africa on January 3 to play three Tests and five one-day internationals.

Squad Imran Farhat, Mohammad Hafeez, Yasir Hameed, Salman Butt, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousaf, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Shoaib Malik, Faisal Iqbal, Asim Kamal, Abdul Razzaq, Kamran Akmal, Danish Kaneria, Abdul Rehman, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Asif, Shahid Nazir, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Umar Gul, Mohammad Sami, Rao Iftikhar, Shahid Afridi, Zulqarnain Haider, Yasir Arafat, Shabbir Ahmed