PCB’s U-turn on Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan
The colossal loss in the opening test was simply too hot to handle for the Pakistan Cricket Board and the team management in England. After reassuring time and again that there won’t’ be a U-turn on the two Y’s, Mohammad Yousuf has been called out of retirement and summoned to bolster the wafer thin Pakistan middle-order that caved in for 80 runs whilst chasing 435 runs for victory on the fourth day at Trent-Bridge, Nottingham.
Only few days ago, a beaming Waqar Younis and the current captain Salman Butt had vowed to move on with the same set of players as they won the Headingley test against the Australians. Yet as is often the case, a week is enough to change opinion in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755’s cricket setup and out of nowhere, Mohammad Yousuf is set to call time on his retirement and join the team before the next test match at Edgbaston, Birmingham.
But contrary to the demand of former players and cricket fans, Younis Khan has not been recalled despite doing well for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Surrey-c851 in the English County championship.
Whilst the Pakistan Cricket Board has decided to recall Yousuf and brush aside the indefinite suspension on him after the tour of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746, Younis has not been granted any favour. He is considered as the man responsible for the leakage of these statements made by the players and officials in front of the PCB committee that probed the disastrous performance in Australia.
A PCB source confirmed that the Mardan born batsman and former captain Younis Khan is at loggerheads with the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board and it looks difficult for him to return as long as http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ijaz-Butt-c64128 holds the reign in PCB.
The PCB also announced that leg-spinner Danesh Kaneria who had a horrific match with the ball is being axed from the team and would re-join his country team http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Essex-c783 in the English county championship.
Kaneria conceded as many as 171 runs in only 33 overs during the Trent-Bridge test, claiming only a solitary wicket for his efforts.
Saeed Ajmal, the off-spinner is set to replace him in the team for the next test which is going to be played from Friday at a wicket which is expected to suit the bowlers.
Meanwhile, after the crushing defeat in the first test, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Salman-c88163 Butt remarked that the present team would not start winning if Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan are recalled into the team. He stressed that even in their presence the team had lost many test and One-Day games in last few years, with the Australian tour a classic example where the men in green were blanked 5-0 in the ODI and 3-0 in the test series.
Butt said "Having seen the past results can anybody over here tell me how many wins Pakistan had with the people who were previously playing?” as he answered a question on the return of Yousuf and Younis to the national fold.
However, within hours of the press conference Salman was made to eat his words as the PCB, in what it claims was with the consent of the team management, decided to recall Mohammad Yousuf along with left-arm spinner http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Raza-Hasan-c84407.
Salman, it is believed, was not keen on having either Younis or Yousuf in the team, yet it seems that his demand was overlooked.
It would be extremely interesting to see if the two can gel together when the team takes field for the make or break second test at Birmingham. For the time being, Pakistanis l**k their wounds after an humiliating 354 run defeat.
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