Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has said a final "no" to Bollywood director Mahesh Bhatt who wanted to cast the cricketer in his next film.

Bhatt had Monday flown down to Karachi to meet the speedster's marketing manager for negotiations to cast him in "Gangster", his next project.

"Bhatt met Shoaib's agent who thanked him for considering Shoaib for the film but made it clear that the paceman would not be taking up an acting career. He (Shoaib) wants to concentrate full time on cricket," an unnamed source was Tuesday quoted by The News as saying.

Mahesh Bhatt had earlier announced that despite reports of Shoaib publicly spurning his offer, he would personally try and convince the cricketer to play the lead role in his next venture.

The Bollywood director had insisted that only if he got the final no from Shoaib would he drop his plans. He said he did not mind flying down anywhere to meet the flamboyant bowling ace.

"He (Shoaib's manager) told Bhatt that Shoaib was very keen to make a comeback to the Pakistan team and realised the only way he could do this was to concentrate 100 per cent on cricket and go and perform for Worcestershire (in the county season)," the source also said.

After being overlooked by selectors for the Pakistan tour of the West Indies, Shoaib was very keen to make a comeback in the home series against England later in the year, the source said.

"He now just wants to put everything behind him and concentrate on performing and winning back his place in the national team," the source said.