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KARACHI (AFP) – Pakistan paceman Mohammad Sami was Tuesday recalled for the tour of Australia following team management’s request for an additional fast bowler, giving him a chance to revive a dwindling career.

“The selection committee has agreed to send Sami as reinforcement player to join the Pakistan team in Australia,” a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) statement said.

The addition of Sami was requested to help ease the burden on the team’s fast-bowlers in what is expected to be a demanding tour in Australia, the statement added.

He will supplement an attack featuring Umar Gul, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Aamer and Abdur Rauf.

The 28-year-old right-arm fast bowler played the last of his 33 Tests against India at Bangalore in December 2007 before he was sidelined for poor form.

He then joined the unofficial Indian Cricket League (ICL) and was banned from international cricket in early 2008.

Earlier this year all 23 Pakistan players who joined the ICL suspended their contracts in India and were forgiven by the PCB.

Sami has so far taken 81 wickets in 33 Tests, and a further 118 in 83 one-day internationals.

He has shown recent good form in country’s domestic cricket with 30 wickets.

“I am very happy and am confident of making the most of this chance to resurrect my career,” said Sami, widely regarded as one of the most talented bowlers to not turn his potential into performances.

Pakistan plays the first of three Tests against Australia at Melbourne from December 26. They will also play five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 on the tour.

CENTURION (AFP) – England captain Andrew Strauss on Tuesday called on his players to “stand up and be counted” in the four-match Test series against South Africa which starts at SuperSport Park on Wednesday.

He said England would be aggressive against a powerful home team but warned: “It’s got to be done with thoughtfulness and smartly. There’s no point in getting carried away and getting caught up in the moment. It needs to be calculated and controlled.”

Strauss said the series was an opportunity for his side to take a significant step up on their long-term quest to become the best Test team in the world.

“South Africa were the number one side in the world and they haven’t played since they were. And they’re at home. If we could beat them it would add a lot of credence to the idea that we could become number one, but it’s going to be hard to do.”

The England captain said that a return to Test cricket after a long period of playing limited overs games was a chance for the players to ‘reconnect’ with what had enabled them to win the Ashes series against Australia earlier this year, although he said the circumstances were very different.

“It’s a different ball, different conditions and a very different type of team we’re playing against.”

Both teams look set to go into the match with six specialist batsmen and just four bowlers on a pitch which on Tuesday looked a seam bowler’s paradise with a good covering of bright green grass.

But Strauss and South African captain Graeme Smith said much could change before play started on Wednesday.

“Often these wickets look a lot worse a day out from a Test match than they do on the day,” said Strauss.

“But history suggests there can be an advantage in bowling first at this ground. At the moment it looks like it might do a little bit on the first morning.”

Smith said he expected a lot of work to be done on the pitch before Wednesday and sunshine was predicted, in contrast to Tuesday’s overcast weather.

Although South Africa have not played Test cricket since March, Smith said his team were ready for what he expected to be a tough series.

“Our Test squad is very mature. We’ve had a lot of success. Each guy knows what he has to do and we have prepared really well. There’s a good calm focus and intensity.”

South Africa reduced their squad to 12 on Monday, releasing Alviro Petersen, Ryan McLaren and Wayne Parnell, with uncapped fast bowler Friedel de Wet retained as cover for Dale Steyn.

Star all-rounder Jacques Kallis was fit to play as a batsman only.

“Having the luxury of Jacques as a fifth bowler is something we are going to have do without,” said Smith.

“I guess it’s a challenge but we have some quality bowlers and they know they’re going to have to take a bit of extra responsibility.”

England had injury concerns about fast bowler James Anderson and off- spinner Graeme Swann but Strauss said he was confident that they were fit to play and that four bowlers would be able to do the job for his team if necessary.

“If someone is passed fit the doctors and medical team are very confident they can get through a Test match,” he said.

LONDON (AFP) – Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan will give the tenth MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture at Lord’s next year, organisers announced here Tuesday.

Imran will become the first Pakistani to deliver the lecture.

Previous speakers include Geoffrey Boycott, South Africa’s Archbishop Desmond Tutu and, most recently, Adam Gilchrist.

Imran’s address, on July 19, is due to take place two days after the scheduled conclusion of the Pakistan-Australia Test match at Lord’s – the north-west London ground owned by MCC.

MCC president John Barclay, who played alongside Imran at English county Sussex in the 1970s and 1980s, said: “Imran was an inspired cricketer.

“He was never short of opinions and rarely was he reluctant to hold back.

“We will be in for a treat on July 19 when Imran will display the depth of his knowledge and breadth of his experience.”

Imran, a formidable fast bowler, is arguably Pakistan’s greatest cricketer and widely regarded as one of the best all-rounders ever to play the game.

In a 21-year Test career he scored six centuries, averaging 37.69 and took 362 wickets at 22.8 apiece.

His figures for the last decade of his career were even more impressive with Imran, in 51 Tests, averaging 50 with the bat and just 19 with the ball.

For much of that time Imran was leading Pakistan, captaining them in 48 of his 88 Tests, including the country’s first series win in England in 1987.

He initially retired from international cricket that year but returned, as captain in 1988 and in 1992 led Pakistan to the World Cup title, scoring 72 and taking the last wicket as they beat England in the final in Melbourne.

Since retiring completely from cricket, Imran has established a cancer hospital in Lahore in memory of his late mother and pursued a career in politics as the founder of the Tehreek-e-Insaaf (Movement for Justice) party.

Last month the 56-year-old underwent surgery for an intestinal blockage but has since been reported to be making a good recovery.

The Cowdrey Lecture was inaugurated in 2001 in memory of the late Colin Cowdrey, who together with fellow ex-England captain Ted Dexter (like Cowdrey also a former MCC president), was instrumental in having a section on the ’spirit of cricket’ included as a preamble to the 2000 edition of the laws of the game.