End of the road for Shoaib Akhtar?

Has the colourful journey of the Rawalpindi Express finally come to an end?

That's the question doing the rounds in Pakistan cricket after the selectors omitted Shoaib Akhtar for the one-day series in Sri Lanka and the Champions Trophy probables.

Shoaib Akhtar
While the maverick fast bowler declined to comment apart from the customary "I am not finished and I will fight back" or "I am fit enough to play in the one-day series and Champions Trophy", the writing appears to be clear on the wall.

Finally, it seems the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the interim selectors have had enough of his antics.

Perhaps, no modern day cricketer has remained so much in the news as Shoaib without having performed or even played consistently for the national side in the last two years.

"I think the selectors have taken a decision on the basis of what they have seen of Shoaib in recent times. I believe he still has some cricket left in him and needs to work hard on his fitness and focus on cricket alone to make another comeback," said former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif, who is said to be one of the few players close to the fast bowler.

But even Latif admitted that Shoaib now needed to set his priorities right and just focus on cricket.

Former pace bowler Sarfaraz Nawaz, however, feels the present board officials and selectors have settled old scores. "He has lived by his own rules and they don't like that. But I think Pakistan will suffer since he can serve Pakistan cricket for one or two years," Sarfaraz said.

Now, it is said that the inputs from captain Younis Khan, coach Intikhab Alam, manager Yawar Saeed and some senior players played an influential role in Akhtar's omission.

Even former chief selector Abdul Qadir has alleged that Alam and Yawar had told him clearly they did not want Shoaib in the team and were instrumental in having him dropped from the World T20 squad in May.

"For so long everyone has tolerated him because they always believed he would produce those match-winning spells for Pakistan. I believed he could win us the 2003 World Cup. But he let everyone down. I am not surprised he is not wanted in the team," said former Chairman of PCB, Lt General (retd) Tauqir Zia.