Struggling Akhtar may break down in UAE: Reports

Controversial fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar is still not 100 per cent fit and may break down during the one-day series against Australia in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, media reports said.

According to a report in "The News", there were serious doubts over Shoaib's fitness and whether he would be able to endure the hard weather conditions in the emirate states during the series starting from April 22.

The newspaper claimed that it had spoken to some team players who had said that even during the fitness tests and conditioning camp, Shoaib got exhausted after one session of training and didn't appear fit.

The report quoted the players as saying that Shoaib was getting exhausted and suffered from fatigue very quickly and the players also had serious doubts whether he would last out the series.

However, Pakistan Cricket Board CEO Saleem Altaf made it clear that Shoaib was picked in the team by the national selectors as they were satisfied with his fitness.

Sources close to the selectors said that they picked the players on basis of reports of the team trainer and medical panel of the board who conducted the fitness test of players including Shoaib before the team was announced for the series.