ISLAMABAD, Nov 2: Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar gave national selectors a timely reminder with a fiery burst on Sunday as Federal Areas put themselves in a winning position in the Pentangular Cup match against Punjab at the Diamond Club Ground.

Shoaib claimed three wickets on the third morning to trigger Punjab’s collapse in the second innings, which folded up for 144 with debutant wicket-keeper Jamal Anwar holding seven catches in the innings and 10 in the match.

Federal Areas, requiring 238 for victory, closed at 127 for four in their second innings.

Shoaib, who had dismissed Mohammad Hafeez on Saturday evening, finished with excellent figures of four for 14 in front of national selectors Saleem Jaffer, Shoaib Mohammad and Ijaz Ahmed as well as new Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam.

The selectors are scheduled to announce on Monday a 15-member Pakistan squad that will play West Indies in a three-match One-day International in Abu Dhabi, starting from Nov 12.

Shoaib’s was ably supported by fellow pacemen Sohail Tanvir and Federal Areas skipper Rao Iftikhar, who grabbed three wickets each.

For Punjab, Pakistan opener Salman Butt (29) and Umar Akmal (47) were the only batsmen to offer some resistance. Umar’s knock included nine fours.

When Federal Areas began their chase, openers Raheel Majeed (34) and Umair Khan (38) provided them with a solid partnership of 70. But their good work was undone by young paceman Mohammad Talha who

captured three of the four wickets to fall.

Scoreboard

PUNJAB (1st Innings) 306 (Salman Butt 155).

FEDERAL AREAS (1st Innings) 213 (Naveed Qureshi 55; Imran Ali 4-64).

PUNJAB (2nd innings, overnight 33-1):

Salman Butt c Jamal b Rao Iftikhar 29

Mohammad Hafeez c sub b Shoaib 6

Umar Akmal c Jamal b Shoaib 47

Khurram Shahzad c Jamal b Sohail 3

Shoaib Malik c Jamal b Shoaib 1

Kamran Akmal c Naveed b Shoaib 6

Mansoor Amjad c Jamal b Sohail 1

Wahab Riaz not out 19

Saeed Ajmal b Sohail 1

Mohammad Talha c Jamal b Sohail 0

Imran Ali c Jamal b Rao Iftikhar 5

EXTRAS (B-17, LB-4, W-1, NB-4) 26

TOTAL (all out, 39 overs) 144

FALL OF WKT: 1-17, 2-78, 3-102, 4-110, 5-110, 6-116, 7-123, 8-123, 9-134.

BOWLING: Shoaib Akhtar 10-7-14-4; Sohail Tanvir 11-1-27-3 (1w); Rao Iftikhar 10-1-41-3; Yasir Arafat 8-0-41-0 (4nb).

FEDERAL AREAS (2nd Innings):

Raheel Majeed c Kamran b Talha 34

Umair Khan c Kamran b Imran 38

Umar Amin not out 24

Naveed Qureshi lbw b Talha 14

Usman Saeed lbw b Talha 0

Yasir Arafat not out 1

EXTRAS (B-3, W-3, NB-10) 16

TOTAL (for four wkts, 39.1 overs) 127

FALL OF WKT: 1-70, 2-102, 3-124, 4-124.

BOWLING (to-date): Imran Ali 11-1-34-1 (1w); Mohammad Talha 11.1-2-41-3 (5nb), (1w); Wahab Riaz 6-0-28-0 (5nb, 1w); Saeed Ajmal 11-4-21-0.