Pakistan hopeful over Shabbir

Shabbir Ahmed has been out of international cricket since last December © Getty Images

Pakistan are hoping that Shabbir Ahmed, the right-arm seamer, will be cleared by ICC for their tour of South Africa early next year.

Shabbir was banned for 12 months for an illegal action after he was reported twice in 2005, the second time coming after the first Test against England at Multan in November. An appeal to get him cleared by the PCB failed.

"His ban ends on December 18 before that we will send him to Australia next month to undergo a biomechanical test to confirm there is an improvement in his action," a board spokesman told Reuters.

"We have got an appointment with specialists in Australia and hopefully their report would satisfy the ICC."

Shabbir, who has taken 51 wickets in 10 tests, has had problems with his action since his debut in 1999.