LAHORE, March 31: Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar will start the process of assessing his match-fitness by representing the PCB XI against the visiting Leicestershire county side in the first Twenty20 match in Pakistan at the Qadhafi Stadium on Friday at 2pm.

Shabbir Ahmed, another pace bowler struggling to regain his fitness, will also play for the home side.

Shoaib, who had missed some one-day matches in Australia this year and could not be fit for the ongoing Indian tour due to hamstring, decided to play on the advice of his trainer Grant Compton.

It means Shoaib will send down maximum quota of four overs in the match.

Asked if the four-over quota was enough to prove Shoaib’s fitness, chief selector Wasim Bari, said it was the first step and the bowler had to play a series of matches to prove his fitness.

He should also play the Patron’s Cup one-day matches, starting from Sunday, Bari stated and went on to say that he had always been advising Shoaib to start bowling to prove his fitness.

Either Shoaib or Shabbir will be leading the PCB XI.

Ehteshamuddin, a member of the national selection committee, will also watch the match.

PCB XI: Shoaib Akhtar, Shabbir Ahmed, Kamran Sajid, Agha Sabir, Khurram Manzoor, Shoaib Khan, Naved Latif, Tahir Mughal, Kamran Hussain, Rajesh Ramesh, Mansoor Amjad, Ahmed Said, Hafiz Khalid, Faisal Irfan.