Re: Do we need Shoaib Actor?/ Not a certainty for the Indian tour.
We need Shoaib Akhtar because he's the best Pakistani bowler. His bowling has been absolutely consistent even against the likes of Hayden, Martyn and co. and that's why he has been among the top 5 rated bowlers in the world.
Not to forget that having Akhtar in team will make Sami a much better bowler because of too many factors to list here.
Calling for his head is the exact same short-term memory issue (that plagues some Pakistan cricket fans) which resulted in people badmouthing Younis Khan when he was the most successful Pakistan batsman in Australia and had a 100 in the match before that.
Shoaib Akhtar is an absolutely vital member of Pakistan team. A test bowling attack of Shoaib, Sami, Kaneria and Shabbir (or Gul) with Afridi as the backup bowler should win a few games for Pakistan.
Having said that, the one thing that Akhtar has to do is to stay match fit. If he can't play three tests in a series without limping away after a while during the series, let alone during a match, then he should not be there in the team. In that regards, it has been a good decision by Akhtar to hold back and make sure of his fitness before making a comeback.