PCB CEO Shafqat Naghmi, in a change of stance, said Shoaib Akhtar could be selected even if he doesn't pay his fine.

Akhtar was issued a legal notice by the PCB last month asking him to either pay the fine imposed on him by the PCB-appointed appellate tribunal or forget a national call-up.

But, Naghmi said despite the notice, national interest would be put before everything else when it came to selection matters.

"Let's just say we will prefer to give national and team interest priority and the reports we have got about Akhtar from our team trainer and coaching staff at the national academy is very good. So if he is fit we will definitely consider him when time comes," Naghmi said.

PCB legal counsel Taffazzul Rizvi had also recently said that even if the Champions Trophy, for which Akhtar was selected, had been postponed the condition of paying the fine first to play for Pakistan still stood.

The fine was imposed in June by the appellate tribunal which, however, reduced the five-year ban imposed on Akhtar by the Board's disciplinary committee to 18 months.