Shoaib Akhtar may have been allowed to play in the Indian Premier
League but former players say the maverick pacer will find it tough to
make an impact in the twenty20 league as months of absence from the
cricket field has robbed him of match fitness.
The beleaguered pacer, whose 5-year ban was suspended on Sunday for a
month by the appellate tribunal of the Pakistan Cricket Board, has
bowled just 18 overs and played one competitive match since
mid-December last year.
He has not played since February 13 this year when he led the Federal
Areas team against Punjab in the Pentangular Cup tournament in Lahore
and didn’t get a wicket.
His last appearance for Pakistan was the third Test in Bangalore against India in early December last year.

Since then, he was dropped for the one-day series at home against
Zimbabwe and was subsequently banned for indiscipline when Bangladesh
toured last month for five one-day games.
In this background and given his fitness record, experts believe the
fast bowler could be in for a real test when eventually he does play
for the Kolkata Knight Riders team on May 8.
“I am happy he has had his ban suspended and this allows him to play in
the IPL. But as a former Test pacer I know how difficult it is getting
back into rhythm and match form if you haven’t played for six months,”
former player Sarfraz Nawaz said.