15 April 2005	Friday	05 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1426

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LAHORE, April 14: Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar said on Thursday he hoped to play a lead role on the team’s tour of the West Indies next month after missing the current series against India due to injury. “I will regret missing the series against India for the rest of my career,” Shoaib, who pulled out of the India tour at the last minute due to a hamstring problem, said.

“But I am fully fit now and raring to go for the West Indies tour. I want to play a lead role,” said Shoaib, who has played four domestic matches in the last three weeks to prove his fitness.

The 29-year-old paceman, regarded as one of the fastest bowlers in the world, suffered the injury on Pakistan’s tour of Australia in January this year.

Shoaib’s hamstring injury took more time to heal than expected, depriving him of a possible return in the one-day series in India.

“I would have loved to play the one-day series but still had some ground to cover so I did not hasten my return, as advised by Imran Khan and chief selector Wasim Bari,” said Shoaib, who has 144 Test and 186 one-day wickets.

“People in India love me so I have missed the series of a lifetime.”—Agencies