DURHAM are considering former Pakistan Test paceman Mohammad Akram as a replacement for Dewald Pretorius, whose final championship game starts against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl today.

Akram, 30, who played the last of his nine Tests in 2000, had a season with Northamptonshire in 1997, when he took 30 wickets at 37.83 in 11 matches.

That included five for 100 in the first innings of the match against Durham at Northampton, when he also top scored with 28 as the hosts were bowled out for 144 in their first innings, with Melvyn Betts taking nine for 64.

Akram practised with Durham at Headingley on Saturday morning and should be immediately available, although there is no need for haste as Durham have four days off after their championship and National League games at Southampton.

They then have a run of seven one-day games, five of them in the Twenty20 Cup, and play India A at Riverside before their next championship match at Worcester on July 2.

All-rounders Vince Wells and Danny Law return to the squad today with one of them certain to play following the injury to Ian Pattison.

Mark Davies also has a good chance of making his first appearance of the season in place of Neil Killeen, who took only one wicket in the win against Yorkshire at Headingley.

While they again have to make do without Martin Love, Durham will find themselves up against his predecessor as their overseas player, Simon Katich.

The left-hander was a big hit with Durham in 2000 and was due to return until he was called into the Australian squad.

He was tipped as a future Test captain, but has since slipped below Love in the rankings and has not added to his one cap in the fourth Test at Headingley in 2001, when he made 15 and nought not out.

Katich missed the first two championship games because he was with Australia A, but has performed reasonably well since, even picking up a few wickets with his chinamen.

Hampshire were to have been captained this season by Shane Warne until he was banned for a year for taking a banned substance.

They then went for Pakistani paceman Shoaib Akhtar, but doubts over his fitness led to them signing 36-year-old Wasim Akram, who returns today after illness.

Wasim's former Lancashire teammate John Crawley has taken over the captaincy from Robin Smith, but Hampshire have drawn four and lost one of their five games to date.

They have a useful attack with Wasim, Alan Mullally and Ed Giddins, signed from Surrey, so Durham will hope the pitch plays better than on their visit during the Rose Bowl's first season two years ago.

They lost the toss and were dismissed for 163 in their second innings to lose by 47 runs.

Durham (from): J J B Lewis (capt), M A Gough, G J Muchall, G J Pratt, V J Wells, N Peng, P Mustard, L Plunkett, N C Phillips, A M Davies, D Pretorius, N Killeen, D R Law.

Hampshire: J P Crawley (capt), D A Kenway, R A Smith, W S Kendall, S M Katich, N Pothas, A D Mascarenhas, W Akram, S D Udal, A D Mullally, E S H Giddins.

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