Shoaib Akhtar ruled out

Shoaib Akhtar, who two days ago pronounced himself "very much available" for the forthcoming six-nation Asia Cup one-day tournament in Sri Lanka, has been ruled out so that he can rest a rib injury.

Wasim Bari, the former Test wicketkeeper who is now Pakistan's chairman of selectors, said: "We have received directives that Shoaib should not be considered for the Asia Cup to allow him to recover."

Shoaib, who is 28, picked up the injury in the third and final Test against India at Rawalpindi in April - but he has been playing county cricket for Durham since, and on Tuesday said he had "recovered well from my ribcage injury after two weeks of rest".

The Asia Cup begins in Sri Lanka on July 16. India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are all taking part, along with associate-member countries Hong Kong and United Arab Emirates.