LAHORE: Pakistan's wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal was given a green light and instructed on Wednesday to remain on stand-by to participate in the forthcoming Zimbabwe tour by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in place of Sarfraz Ahmed, DawnNews reported.

Sarfaraz, who will be unable to go to Zimbabwe due to visa issues, was chosen for the job after senior wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal faced the axe for his recent spate of poor performances and his younger brother Umar was dropped over a mysterious injury.

Sources said that Adnan would soon depart for Zimbabwe.

Adnan has not yet played any Twenty20 Internationals and has participated in just five ODIs between September 2011 and February 2012.

Meanwhile, Umar Akmal, who performed well both with the bat and gloves during the tour of the Caribbean, practiced at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore on Tuesday in a bid to prove that he is fit enough to participate in Zimbabwe.