Yousuf, Younis’ Pakistan careers over

By Rahul Bajaj
for Cricketain.com

Published: March 10, 2010

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Karachi: In an unprecedented move, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the most stringent punishments for its national players, banning and fining as many as seven senior players on the recommendation of the inquiry committee formed to look into Pakistan’s disastrous tour of Australia.

The PCB effectively put life bans on skipper Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan in what came as a completely unexpected development to everyone. Yousuf and Younis, two of Pakistan’s most senior players in the current team will never be able to play for Pakistan again but will be eligible for county and domestic cricket.

Former captain Shoaib Malik and fast bowler Rana Naved-ul-Hasan have been banned for a year and the Akmal brothers and Shahid Afridi have been put on probation for six months and have been fined between Rs 2-3 million for various misdemeanors.

The PCB on Wednesday implemented the recommendations of an inquiry committee formed to evaluate Pakistan’s dismal performance against Australia in December and January, where the Pakistan team failed to win a single match. The committee was led by Wasim Bari.

The inquiry committee had recommended that Yousuf and Younis no longer be part of the national team in any format because of their bad influence on the team and that Malik and Rana be banned for 12 months.

“Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan, keeping in view their infighting which resulted in bringing down the whole team — their attitude has a trickledown effect which is a bad influence for the whole team, should not be part of national team in any format,” the board said in its statement issued on Wednesday.

The PCB is, however, not calling the punishment a life ban. “They will not be part of any Pakistan team in any format from here on,” Taffazul Rizvi, the board’s legal advisor told Cricinfo. “A life ban means they cannot play domestic cricket or any other similar cricket, but we are not stopping them from that. They can play domestic cricket or county cricket here and abroad.”

Meanwhile, Rizvi refused to elaborate on the reasons behind such stringent action being taken against Yousuf and Younis but it is being believed that the PCB had just had enough of the pair. Younis twice had stepped down from the captaincy last year with player unrest being the reason both times. Yousuf, on the other hand, seems to have been dealt with a bit too harshly. His only possible sin could be that he led Pakistan on a winless tour to Australia and engaged thereafter in a public battle with Malik.

The cases of indiscipline that have led to one-year bans on Malik and Rana, similarly, have not been expanded upon. “Rana Naved ul Hasan and Shoaib Malik will be fined Rupees two million. They should not be part of national team in any format for a period of one year.”

In contrast, the cases of Akmal brothers and Shahid Afridi appear pretty straightforward. Kamran and Umar Akmal were fined for their behaviour in the aftermath of the Sydney Test; Kamran was dropped by the board for the final test but he openly said in the media that he would be selected in the team for the third Test. Younger brother Umar, on the other hand, was alleged to have feigned an injury to not play the Test in protest, though he did eventually play. Kamran has been fined Rs 3 million, Umar Rs 2 million and the pair are on probation for six months.

Pakistan’s T20 captain, Shahid Afridi, was punished for the ball-biting incident in the Perth ODI, where he was captain. He has already been handed a two-match ban by the ICC. “For the shameful act of Shahid Khan Afridi, which has brought the game and country into disrepute, he will be fined Rupees 3 million,” the board said. “A warning will be issued to him by the Chairman of PCB and he will be put on probation for 6 months, during which his conduct will be strictly monitored.”

The punishments are set to impact the composition of Pakistan’s World Twenty20 championship team. Pakistan is the defending champion in this format and the 15-man squad for the event is due to be announced by the end of this month.

The action is literally unparalleled in the world of cricket, even with respect to Pakistan’s troubled history.

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