Wasim and Shoaib in Pakistan team for England

Pacemen Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar have been included in Pakistan's final squad of 17 players for the tour of England next month, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced late on Saturday.

"We have announced 17 for the tour after a council meeting Saturday," a PCB spokesman told AFP. The PCB council finalised the team after lengthy discussions about Akram's lack of fitness, which forced him to miss the Test series in New Zealand last month.

The team, led by Waqar Younis, will play two Tests against England and a limited overs tri-nation series also involving world champions Australia.

Pakistan dropped former captain Moin Khan from the initial squad of 20 announced on Tuesday but fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar is back after missing Pakistan's last 13 Tests since March 1999.

Akhtar's action has been cleared by Australian experts and the PCB's own panel will send its report to the International Cricket Council before the team reaches England.

Australian Daryl Foster, hired as a bowling coach and consultant, would join the team on May 6, PCB officials added.

Pakistan, however, is still without a head coach after Javed Miandad was dumped earlier this month.

Pakistan has won its last three Test series in England, but lost a three-match home series against Nasser Hussain's England 1-0 last year.

Team: Waqar Younis (capt), Inzamam-ul-Haq, Saeed Anwar, Faisal Iqbal, Yousuf Youhana, Younis Khan, Azhar Mahmood, Salim Elahi, Abdur Razzaq, Mohammad Wasim, Imran Farhat, Shoaib Akhtar, Wasim Akram, Mohammad Sami, Saqlain Mushtaq, Mushtaq Ahmed,
Rashid Latif (wkt).