Shoaib Akhtar and Younis return to face India, Scotland

KARACHI, June 16 (Reuters) Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar and batsman Younis Khan have been recalled in a 15-man squad for next month's one-dayers against India and Scotland.

Akhtar was dropped for the World Cup because of injury problems that have allowed him to play only four one-dayers and one test since a Karachi test against India in February, 2006.

''Shoaib has bowled with fire and showed his fitness in the training camp. It is a good omen for Pakistan cricket that he is back,'' chief selector Salahuddin Ahmed said today.

Pakistan face hosts Scotland on July 1 in Edinburgh followed by India in Glasgow two days later.

Younis declined to take the Pakistan captaincy after the World Cup, which saw Inzamam-ul-Haq step down as skipper and retire from one-day internationals after his team were eliminated in the first round of the tournament.

Younis had cited personal problems and a desire to get his form back for refusing the captaincy and he played English county cricket for Yorkshire instead of featuring in a one-day series against Sri Lanka in April in Abu Dhabi.

''Younis made himself available for the coming matches since he is already in England and given his experience we had no hesitation in selecting him,'' Ahmed said.

Akhtar, 32, has had a troubled time since last year, first undergoing a knee operation and than testing positive for a banned substance in tests carried out by the Pakistan Cricket Board before the Champions Trophy in India held in October.

He went to South Africa with Pakistan early this year and bowled in the first innings of the second test in Port Elizabeth before breaking down with a hamstring injury.

Akhtar, currently Pakistan's most experienced bowler, was also prevented from representing an Asia XI in a one-day series against an Africa XI in India earlier this month because the board felt he was not match fit.

Ahmed said Akhtar's selection came about after he was watched bowling at a training camp in Abbotabad in the last week.

The fast bowler said it was a step forward to be back in the team and he was keen to be part of the rebuilding process after their World Cup disappointment.

Squad: Shoaib Malik (captain), Imran Nazir, Salman Butt, Younis Khan, Yasir Hameed, Mohammad Yousuf, Kamran Akmal, Fawad Alam, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Umar Gul, Shoaib Akhtar, Rao Iftikhar, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Sami.

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