Both Akram, who is facing match fixing charges and Younis, who has been injured, will be in the run for the Pakistan team for the home series against Australia and Zimbabwe, said Wasim Bari, the national team's chief selector.

Akram has been at the centre of a match-fixing controversy after an interim report by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) implicated him alongwith veterans Salim Malik and Ijaz Ahmad. The report recommended that all three be suspended until investigations are completed later this month.

After the report was made public, Wasim Akram strongly denied the charges and announced his retirement, pledging to clear his name before taking any further part in international cricket. But after the completion of the English county championships, Wasim Akram, a left-armpaceman, told the PCB this week that he was available for selection. Prior to this, Akram announced that he was taking back his decision of retirement.

Both Akram and Younis were not part of the Pakistan team which won the Sahara Cup one-day series against India 4-1 in Canada this week.

The Pakistani selector, Wasim Bari, himself a renowned wicket-keeper of his time, told reporters that Wasim Akram did not play in the Sahara Cup because of his commitments with Lancashire. ``But he (Wasim) is in great form,'' commented Bari.

Bari said that the selection of the Pakistan national squad against Australia would be finalised only after the suggestions of team captain Aamir Sohail and team coach Javed Miandad are incorporated.

For his part, Younis, is regaining his fitness after damaging his elbow and has not played since he turned out for his English county, Glamorgan, in a Natwest trophy match in June.

The Australian team, under Mark Taylor, will arrive in Pakistan tomorrow to play three tests and threeone-dayers.

All set for Indian Series:

In another development, Pakistan cricket boss, Majid Khan, has said that he hopes that his country's tour of India early next year ``will help revive permanent Test ties between the two nations.'' The PCB chief, who was in Karachi to unveil the mascot and logo for the Wills cricket season 1998-99, felt that Pakistan's visit of India would restart regular exchanges of Test tours between the two countries.

Pakistan is scheduled to go on tour to India in January-February 1999, the first Test tour in 12 years, for three Tests and five one-dayers.