Board bans Yousuf and Younus for life in reaction to failed tour
Sydney Morning Herald
Thursday March 11, 2010
FEUDING former Pakistan captains Mohammad Yousuf and Younus Khan have been banned from representing their country for life because of their bickering during and after the disastrous tour of Australia, lowlighted by the loss of the unloseable Test at the SCG.The Pakistan Cricket Board yesterday reacted with venom to the miserable, winless tour of Australia. Yousuf and Younus were told their services were no longer required in all three formats of the game, ending their international careers. Younus joined the beleaguered touring squad only for the one-day series but engaged in a slanging match with Yousuf, who had been skipper for the Tests and ODIs, immediately upon their return home.One-year bans were slapped on Shoaib Malik and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan as punishment for undisclosed disciplinary problems. It is understood they clashed heatedly with Yousuf. Malik has been accused of orchestrating factionalism within the team since he was stripped of the captaincy last year.Pakistan are due to meet Australia again in England in July.Ball-biting Shahid Afridi and the argumentative Akmal brothers were between PKR2-3 million ($25,000-$37,000) lighter in the pocket and placed on six-month probation. Afridi bit the ball while captaining Pakistan in the last one-day match of the series in Perth. He claimed after stumps that he was trying to smell the ball. The PCB yesterday called his behaviour shameful and an act that had brought cricket and his country into disrepute.PCB chairman Ijaz Butt demanded the investigation by a six-man committee into the circumstances surrounding Pakistan losing three Tests, five one-dayers and one Twenty20 clash while in Australia. The SCG defeat came from a position of near-invincibility at stumps on day four. Bizarre field placements, dropped catches and risky batting gifted Australia a victory that stunned spectators as much as bookmakers.Kamran and Umar Akmal were fined for their rebellious behaviour leading up to the final Test in Hobart.The recommendations released last night said: - Mohammad Yousuf and Younus Khan, keeping in view their infighting - their attitude has a trickle-down effect which is a bad influence for the whole team and should not be part of national team in any format.- For the shameful act of Shahid Khan Afridi, which has brought the game and country into disrepute, he be fined rupees three million. A warning be issued to him by the PCB chairman and he be put on probation for six months, during which his conduct be strictly monitored.- Kamran Akmal be fined rupees three million. A warning be issued to him by PCB chairman and he be put on probation for six months and his behaviour strictly monitored.- Umar Akmal be fined rupees two million. A warning be issued to him by PCB chairman and he be put on probation for six months, during which his conduct be strictly monitored.- Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Shoaib Malik be fined rupees two million. They should not be part of national team in any format for a period of one year.The PCB said the recommendations of the committee had been accepted "in totality" and "will go a long way to arrest the continuing decline in Pakistan cricket and improve the state of cricket in Pakistan. It is a landmark exercise, which is an outcome of labour and hard work of the members of the committee".
© 2010 Sydney Morning Herald