Shoaib given Surrey all-clear

The Pakistan Cricket Board have given pace bowler Shoaib Akhtar permission to play for English county Surrey for the rest of the season.

"I have got permission from the board and I am really looking forward to playing for Surrey. It will allow me to get back into some rhythm," Shoaib said.

The PCB has served a legal notice on the paceman to pay a fine of seven million rupees (£45,000) after his five-year ban was cut to 18 months. The player had been suspended for disciplinary reasons.

However, Surrey have confirmed veteran batsman Ali Brown will be released at the end of this season.

The 38-year-old former England one-day player has endured a lean summer by his standards - as have his employers, who are bottom of Division One in the County Championship.

Brown, who made his first-class debut for Surrey 16 years ago, has made 44 hundreds and almost 15,000 runs at an average of 43.35.

His attacking style made him a cornerstone too of Surrey's limited-overs campaigns - and Brown's 268 against Glamorgan at The Oval in the C&G Trophy in 1996 remains a one-day world record.

The county's cricket manager Alan Butcher was generous in his tribute.

"He was a great entertainer," he said of a middle-order batsman.

"His one-day record speaks for itself, but he also played many match-winnings innings in championship cricket as well.

"He was a big part of our trophy-winning side at the start of the century."

Time, however, moves on - and Butcher explained: "All good things come to an end, and we had to move forward and find out what we had in our youth set-up and give some opportunities to some younger players.

"For that reason, Browny won't be with us for 2009."

It is a decision taken with obvious mixed feelings.

"You always think deeply about leaving a player like that out of the side, because one innings could win you a game," Butcher concedes.

"But at some stage you have to accept that the match-winning innings are getting fewer as the season goes on - and you have to look to the future."

It will be no surprise to Surrey if Brown - scorer of 44 first-class hundreds and almost 15,000 runs at an average of 43.35 - attracts attention from new employers.

"He definitely frightened bowlers - he hit the ball hard in funny areas," Butcher recalled.

"He was very positive about the way he played. There was no fear of failure there. He decided he was going to take the bowler on - and won on many occasions.

"I'm sure someone will [sign him up].

"I half-expected someone to come in and take him on for the rest of the season. I'm pretty sure he wants to continue his career - and I'm sure someone will give him that opportunity."