PCB back Shoaib county stint

The Pakistan Cricket Board have backed Shoaib Akhtar's proposed move to England.

Akhtar has not played for Pakistan this year, but is hoping to finalise a deal with Surrey, who are currently bottom of the LV County Championship Division One table by 18 points with only three matches to play and are strong favourites to be one of the two teams to be relegated.

"We have cleared Shoaib to play county cricket and have given him a no objection certificate," Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief operating officer Shafqat Naghmi told the News.

Surrey cricket manager Alan Butcher is planning to have Shoaib available in time for next week's crunch match against title-chasing Kent at Canterbury, although one potential snag is legal documentation which requires all overseas players to spend at least three weeks in England.

"Shoaib has been out of competitive cricket for quite sometime and needs to regain his match fitness," added Naghmi.

"We believe a short county stint might help him in doing that."

Shoaib, 33, is hoping to press his claims for a recall to the Pakistan team, with his five-year ban following altercations with the national board recently rescinded.