Controversial Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar looks set for yet another comeback to the national team after he passed a fitness test in Lahore.

Chief selector Abdul Qadir expressed satisfaction with Shoaibs fitness and said team trainer David Dwyer and the Pakistan Cricket Boards medical officer, Dr Sohail Saleem, had also cleared him.

"I would definitely want to see Shoaib in the team for the Australia series," Qadir, Pakistans greatest leg-spinner, said. "He is an experienced bowler and an asset to the team. But it is not just my decision alone. The team will be finalised after consulting other selectors and captain Younis Khan."

Shoaib last played for Pakistan in the ODI series against Sri Lanka but was dropped mid-way for poor form and fitness and then pulled out of the Tests against the same team owing to a knee injury.

Qadir said Shoaib had passed the fitness tests impressively. "In fact, all the players who appeared in the fitness tests have been cleared," he said.

Besides Shoaib, Umar Gul, Sohail Tanvir, and Rao Iftikhar were among the bowlers who had to appear for the fitness test.

The national selectors are due to announce a 15-member squad for the Australia series tomorrow. They are also expected to name 30 probables for the Twenty20 World Cup in England. According to sources, Shoaib is likely to be in both squads.

The sources also said there would be three to four changes in the squad that was announced last month for the tour of Bangladesh which got postponed.

"The likelihood is that the selectors could replace young pacer Mohamamad Aamer, rookie leg-spinner Yasir Shah, and wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed with Shoaib Akhtar and off-spinner Saeed Ajmal," one source told the Press Trust of India.

The source also said selectors were in favour of picking six pace bowlers for the Australia series as they felt Pakistans strength was its pace attack with all-rounders like Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, and Fawad Alam providing the spin back-up.

Pakistan take on Australia in five ODIs and a T20 match in Dubai and Abu Dhabi starting April 22.