The Pakistan Cricket Board is planning to bid an official farewell to the country's premier all-rounder Wasim Akram by including him in the squad for the one-day matches in the forthcoming home series against South Africa later this year.
Talking to newsmen, PCB Chief Lt Gen Tauqir Zia commended the services of Akram and said it would be appropriate to give him a great send-off by including him in the Pakistan team for the Lahore or Karachi one-dayer.
"It would be great to bid him farewell in front of his home crowd," he said.
"He (Akram) had given nothing to PCB in writing and we want to give him a grand send-off from international cricket," Zia said.
Akram recently announced his retirement from international cricket in England, where he is playing county cricket with Hampshire.
Stating that the PCB is keen to use Akram's services in Pakistan cricket academies, Zia said: "We want to exploit the expertise of Akram and wanted him to train Pakistani youngsters. It would not be in our interest that he coach and train in England."
Commenting on the court case, Zia said Akram's appeal on a fine against him is pending in the court and unless he returns to Pakistan, it cannot be decided by the court.
Akram was fined following the Justice Quyyum inquiry report into allegations of betting and match-fixing. The cricketer filed a petition against the decision in the Lahore high court.
The 36-year-old Akram, who took 414 Test wickets and 502 one-day international scalps in 356 matches during his 18-year career, failed to click in the recent World Cup in South Africa, where Pakistan crashed out in the preliminary round.
His last Test appearance for Pakistan was against Bangladesh in January 2002.
He played in 104 Tests and hit three centuries. His Test tally of wickets rank No. 7 in the all time list headed by West Indian pace bowler Courtney Walsh with 519 wickets.
