Stung by the recent spate of criticism, temperamental Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has decided to pull out of the One-Day International series against Sri Lanka in Malaysia in a month's time.

Shoaib's family members said accusing him as a deserter and pinning the blame for the series loss against arch-rivals India put off the 'Rawalpindi Express', who is "not physically and mentally fit" to play the series.

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They said attempts are being made to blame Shoaib for the debacle instead of the "rotten match strategy, poor planning and spineless batting and bowling".

"Shoaib is mentally so upset that he might even not participate in any international cricket for a couple of months," Islamabad daily The News quoted an unnamed family member of the fast bowler as saying.

He said people who were actually responsible for the defeat against India are trying to drag the speedster unnecessarily into the controversy to save their own skin.

"These people are afraid of the fall-out of the defeat. They were having a good time without putting in their part during all these years.

"These people have failed to deliver since the last couple of years. Now when they realise that they might be taken to task for the failure, they are desperately trying to shift the blame on one man," he said.

"In view of this, the fast bowler does not want to play the matches against Sri Lanka. You need confidence and trust from those people who are associated with you," the family member said.

"If you do not get that, it would be hard to gather yourself for the professional commitments and that is the reason why Shoaib has decided not to play in the three matches," he said.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Cricket Board spokesman Sami-ul Hassan said the fast bowler does not have the Board's permission to go to India for an advertisement shoot alongside Sachin

Tendulkar and Australia paceman Jason Gillespie.

But the family member defended the decision of Shoaib, who is already in Mumbai, saying that he went to India to honour a contract he had signed sometime ago.

The fast bowler had an MRI done for the back injury at Rawalpindi before leaving for India.