ISLAMABAD: Coach Intikhab Alam said Wednesday that Shoaib Akhtar’s place in Pakistan’s World Twenty20 squad would be decided within 24 hours after the injury-prone fast bowler was ruled out of three practice matches.

‘We will decide whether he will be part of the team or not in the next 24 hours after consulting with the doctors,’ Alam told The Associated Press as he prepared for the 12-nation tournament being held in England next month.

Last week, Akhtar did not attend a training camp of the national team at the hilly resort of Bhurban due to a skin ailment.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has planned three Twenty20 games over the next three days in the eastern city of Lahore for the tournament squad — in which Akhtar was named.

The squad will leave for England on May 30, where it will play warm-up matches against South Africa and archrival India.

Akhtar has been struggling for fitness since he made a comeback to international cricket earlier this year after 14 months.

He took just one wicket in the two one-day internationals against Sri Lanka at home before knee injury ruled him out for the test series.

He took just three wickets in four ODIs in this month’s series against Australia in the United Arab Emirates, where Pakistan lost 3-2. The once fiery fast bowler — known as the ‘Rawalpindi Express’ — struggled with his form and could not bowl his full quota of 10 overs in any of the games against Australia.

In the only Twenty20 game against Australia — which Pakistan won — Akhtar bowled just two overs before he was taken out of the attack.