Akram lined up for final international hurrah

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is planning to include Wasim Akram in their one-day side to face South Africa later this year as a formal farewell to his remarkable international career - despite Wasim announcing his retirement last month.

"He [Wasim] had given nothing to us [the PCB] in writing and we want to give him grand send-off from international cricket," explained Lt Gen Tauqir Zia, chairman of the PCB. Zia said the plan is for Wasim to be included in either the match at Lahore or Karachi: "It would be great to bid him farewell in front of his home crowd,"

And Zia added that they wanted to utilise Wasim's experience. "We want him to train Pakistani youngsters," he told reporters. "It would not be in our interest that he coach and train in England."