Gul wants Shoaib to play

Pakistan paceman Umar Gul has added his weight to the calls for veteran fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar to be restored to the attack ahead of their World Cup semi-final against India on Wednesday.

Akhtar - who last week announced his retirement from international cricket after the World Cup - has had a disappointing tournament with just three appearances. A battering at the hands of New Zealand - which included one over worth 28 runs and figures of nought for 70 in nine overs - was the final straw for the Pakistan management who have opted for left-arm Wahab Riaz ever since.

But Akhtar is a man for the big stage, and with Riaz failing to impress with just three wickets in four games, there has been increasing talk and media hype over a possible return for the 35-year old who has a tidy record against India - 41 wickets in 28 games at an average of 26.

Umar Gul, who has been outstanding for Pakistan at the World Cup, on Monday added his weight to the calls from a number of former Pakistan players for the Rawalpindi Express to be recalled for the massive encounter against India.

"Shoaib Akhtar is an experienced bowler who has performed well against India," said Gul. "If he plays, it will take some of the pressure off me. When he was not there, there was a lot of pressure on me."

Gul has taken 14 wickets in the tournament so far and has been an integral part in his team's success and he is looking forward to his battle against Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir on Wednesday.

"I always enjoy my bowling especially against India," he added "I'm in my peak form. I hope that when Shoaib plays it will be very good for me," he said.

"I think definitely the first three wickets are crucial, the top order. I'm looking for these three batsmen."

Misbah-ul-Haq is another member of the Pakistan World Cup squad who believes Ahkhtar has the ability to play a major part in the high pressure climax to their World Cup campaign.

"Akhtar is a class bowler," said Misbah. "He has come up with numerous match-winning performances on a number of occasions."

"Batsmen get to prepare well against pace bowling when they face him at the nets. If he does play in the coming matches, I feel it will give us a psychological advantage."