KARACHI, Dec 21: Pace bowler Fazle Akbar is to fly to South Africa as reinforcement for the injury-stricken Pakistan cricket team ahead of their two-match Test series there, officials said Saturday.

“Team management has sent an SOS for a pace bowler as Mohammad Sami has suffered a minor shoulder injury,” a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) spokesman said.

Pakistan meet South Africa in the first Test at Durban from Dec 26.

The 22-year-old Fazle took 95 wickets in last domestic season but was surprisingly left off the national squad.

Fazle, who last played in the limited-overs triangular tournament in England in 2001, was expected to be among the country’s 30 probables for next year’s World Cup but was overlooked.

Pakistan, having lost the one-day series to South Africa 4-1, faces injury problems with express pacer Shoaib Akhtar already ruled out of the Test series.

The young paceman was scheduled to fly out to South Africa later on Saturday.

Pakistan are already without fast bowlers Wasim Akram, who opted out of the Test series, and Shoaib Akhtar who has been sent home for treatment on his knees.

Left with just three specialist pacers in Waqar Younis, Mohammad Zahid and Sami, as well as Abdul Razzaq, the team felt they needed Fazle.—AFP/Reuters