Shoaib Akhtar raring to make his international comeback - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Despite spending nearly a year in wilderness, controversial Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar has vowed to stage a comeback on the international stage. Akhtar, who would be playing in the upcoming Pentagular Cup one-day tournament, said he would use the domestic tournament to prove and convince the selectors that he still has plenty of cricket left in him. "I am thankful to the board for giving me this opportunity to prove myself again and I want to give it my best effort," Akhtar told a sports website. The 34-year old fast bowler criticised people who had written him off as a 'spent force', saying it was a 'mistake' on the part of them to ignore him. Akhtar, who was not offered any central contract by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for the new season, said that he has recovered fully from his knee injury and was ready for international cricket. "One of the reasons for my struggle with fitness and form in the last few series I played was because of the knee problem I had. I just never got the time to get it operated upon. But now that the surgery has been done and the rehabilitation process has also gone well, I am back to my top fitness and the knee problem is no longer a hindrance," The Dawn quoted Akhtar, as saying. Akhtar, who taken 178 Test and 223 one-day wickets, is eyeing the forthcoming England tour for making his comeback. "The England tour would be the perfect place for me to comeback as it has good conditions for bowling and the best facilities for a bowler coming back from an injury," the temperamental bowler said. Akhtar has not featured in any international match for Pakistan since May 2009 when he played against Australia in Dubai.