Karachi: Former Pakistan skipper, Younis Khan, who has been indefinitely banned by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), told the Parliamentary Committee on Sports on Monday that he has been treated unjustly by the cricket authorities while denying to have created any problems within the team.

An emotional Younis Khan told the National Assembly standing committee on sports that he still didn’t know for what crime the Pakistan board had banned him from playing for the national team.

“I still don’t know my crime. They say I had differences with Mohammad Yousuf. But they were never serious differences. I was the one who took him to the board Chairman after he wanted to return from the Indian Cricket League,” Younis said.

The former captain who led Pakistan to the World T20 Cup title last year in England also blamed the board for not doing anything to bridge differences among players when they knew something was wrong in the team.

“At that time, the board did nothing to resolve these issues by getting all the players to sit together and sort out their differences,” he added.

“I was banned without being given a chance to clarify my position and I want justice because I want to play for my country again. Pakistan has given me everything and my career is being wasted for something I have not done.” Younis told the parliamentary committee investigating Pakistan’s performance during the disastrous tour of Australia.

Younis stepped down as captain and player ahead of the tour to New Zealand, which preceded the Australia series, over differences with his teammates. He missed the Australia Tests, and did not make an impact during the ODIs under Mohammad Yousuf’s leadership. Following the tour, PCB came down strongly on seven national players, including Younis who was banned for creating infighting within the team – an accusation he staunchly refused.

“I pointed out problems within the team to the PCB and they banned me. [Shoaib] Malik thought that I contrived to replace him as captain, which wasn’t true. My career has been derailed because of this ban and although I am getting offers to play in England and South Africa, I want to play for my country, for my people,” Younis said.

Younis spoke after being asked by the Chairman of the parliamentary committee, Iqbal Muhammad Khan, if he would like to say something at Monday’s hearing of the committee in Islamabad which was attended by PCB chairman Ejaz Butt, COO Wasim Bari, former coaches — Intikhab Alam and Aaqib Javed andPakistan team manager Yawar Saeed.

Iqbal Muhammad Khan noted that it appeared as if PCB had indeed done injustice with Younis as he was an honest man who wanted to do well for his country.

Butt agreed with the committee’s observation stating that he had found Younis to be a patriot and honest man. “Younis is a patriot and has always played for the country and I am sad that his career was derailed by same baseless allegations of match-fixing by a parliamentary committee member,” Butt said.

But he blamed the former Chairman of the NA sports committee, Jamshed Dasti for destroying Younis’ career with his unsubstantiated and irresponsible match fixing allegations against him after the Champions Trophy last year.

In an emotional moment after the hearing, Butt specially moved to hug Younis and patted him on the back.

Younis was among the seven players who were either banned or fined by the board in March on the recommendations of an inquiry committee that probed into the team’s poor show in Australia.

Six of the seven punished cricketers, barring Yousuf who has since announced his retirement, have lodged formal appeals against PCB’s punishment. The appeals are now being evaluated by an independent arbitrator, Irfan Qadir, a retired high court judge. Younis’ appeal is set to be heard on May 29.

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