Akhtar eyeing T20 World Cup to prove critics wrong

Temperamental Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar is aiming to play in the T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in May in the Caribbean, to prove his critics wrong.

Akhtar’s close friends and his domestic teammates told PakPassion.net that he is training hard, and is likely to take part in a 50-over tournament, starting next month, to prove his fitness for the T20 World Cup.

The 'Rawalpindi Express' believes that he still has some cricket left in him, and is eager to make a comeback in the national squad, they said.

“Akhtar believes he has been written off too soon and by too many, and he wants to make a comeback to the national team. He wants to work hard on his fitness and play regularly for KRL (domestic team) in the coming weeks, and to take part in the training camp. He feels that he still has something to offer to the Pakistan team,” Akhtar’s teammates said.

With young pace sensation Mohammed Aamir performing well, and bowlers like Mohammed Sami and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan making a comeback in the team, it would be a tough task for Akhtar to regain his spot.

However, Umar Gul’s lacklustre performance in the recent past could open the gates for Akhtar, who last represented Pakistan in a T20 match against Australia in Dubai in May 2009.