Shoaib Akhtar will fly to England on Friday after he was earlier sent back home from Heathrow due to incomplete visa documents.

"I have obtained the required documents now. I will fly out on Friday to play for Surrey but it is disappointing to miss the match that started today against Kent," Akhtar said.

"I am just keen to start playing competitive cricket so that I am ready whenever I get a chance to play for Pakistan again," he added.

Akhtar was sent back after immigration authorities found out he had a work permit but not the required work visa to enter the United Kingdom.

"I had a multiple visit visa but they told me I require a work visa to go with the work permit to play in county cricket," he added.

The fast bowler is due to play a couple of end of the season matches for Surrey in a bid to test his form and fitness on the field.

He has not played for Pakistan since last December and since then appeared in a single first class game and a couple of Twenty20 matches in the Indian Premier League for Kolkata Knight Riders.

In between, he has been embroiled in a series of disciplinary issues with the Pakistan Cricket Board and has had a 18-month ban suspended by the Lahore High Court while the board issued him a legal notice to pay a fine of seven million rupees imposed on him by an appellate tribunal.

Few months back, senior batsman Mohammad Yousuf had faced a similar problem and had to return home before going again to play for Derbyshire.