Umar Gul dismissed VVS Laxman with the ball of the match at Lahore in the last Indian tour of Pakistan © Getty Images

Inzamam-ul-Haq, the Pakistan captain, had some good news for Umar Gul, the discarded young medium-pace bowler, on Saturday. Inzamam told The News that Umar figured very much in the plans for next month's Test series against India and could be selected in the Test squad. "He is a fine bowler and we wanted him to go and play some domestic cricket after his recovery from his back problem," said Inzamam. "He is definitely in our plans for the series against India and I would like the selectors to invite him for the conditioning camp we set up from January 6."

Umar last played for Pakistan in April 2004 against India in the second Test at Lahore and set up a victory with a first-innings haul of five for 31. The 21-year-old from Peshawar is a fine controlled seam bowler who has taken 25 wickets in five Tests and another 19 in 15 one-dayers with a best of 5 for 17. Umar is currently playing for his employers PIA in domestic cricket and Inzamam said that the more he played the better he would become after being out of the game for a more than a year.

Umar was sidelined for more than a year with a stress fracture of the back after the Test against India and made a comeback to domestic cricket this season, but was not considered for any of the international games including the tour matches against England.

"Our strength lies in our pace bowling with all our bowlers doing really well against England," said Inzamam. "But with Mohammad Asif also having a good debut match we are keen to develop a reservoir of pace bowlers against India."