SYDNEY, Oct 25: Brett Lee and his rival for the unofficial title of the world’s fastest bowler, Shoaib Akhtar, could find themselves playing club cricket together in Sydney, according to a report Thursday.

The Australian newspaper said Pakistani was a friend of Australia’s Lee’s and the pair had spent time together in Australia outside touring.

“We’re great mates, it would be great to catch up again,” Lee was quoted as saying.

A mutual friend had contacted Lee about Shoaib’s desire to secure a game with Lee’s Sydney club side Mosman, the newspaper said.

Lee’s manager Neil Maxwell had then made inquiries in Pakistan to organise Shoaib’s season in Australia, the newspaper said.

“Things are a bit slow in Pakistan at the moment,” Maxwell was quoted as saying in reference to the US-led military strikes on Afghanistan.

“Shoaib is hugely excited about the possibility of playing a couple of months of cricket with Brett.”

The Australian said if Shoaib could be cleared to play for Mosman with Lee it would rival Sydney club Bankstown’s opening attack in the 1970s of Australian Test fast bowlers Jeff Thomson and Len Pascoe.—Reuters