Can http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mohammad-Yousuf-c77465 still be an asset for Pakistan’s Test team? - Part Two
Continued from the previous part...
The elegant right-handed batsman admitted that he was disheartened after his exclusion from the national team in 2010 and this was the reason why he did not find any motivation to play domestic cricket in the country.
Yousuf knows that some young batsmen have emerged since the last 14 months but thinks that he can still serve the Green Shirts for another couple of years in the longer version of the sport.
In a recent interview, Yousuf expressed, "I am least concerned about ODIs. My focus is Test cricket, I want to play it. My basics are right and I have lots of experience under my belt. I don't want to live in past, people learn from mistakes. I have always
tried to do my best, but sometimes things go wrong. I can't change the past, but I can only hope to revive my career. I am not against new blood being inducted in the side - it's good. No one plays forever, but I still have cricket left [in me] and I have
a role to play."
Considering the fact that Pakistan has some tough tours ahead, there is no doubt that Yousuf can still play a vital role for the Green Shirts. However, the chief selector of PCB and former Test cricketer, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mohammad-Iqbal-Qasim-c76980 has made it clear that Yousuf will not
be selected for the national team, unless or until he plays domestic cricket of Pakistan, in order to prove his form and fitness.
This is a principle stance taken by the selectors and the cricket fans must support that because performances in the domestic cricket must remain the priority, when it comes to selecting the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 team. In past, the selectors used to ignore the domestic
cricket and this is one of the major reasons behind nepotism in Pakistan cricket. This will also give a strong message to the senior players that they must play the national cricket, in order to maintain their place in the team.
Yousuf has admitted himself that some young batsmen like http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Asad-Shafiq-c46208 have cemented their place in the Test team since the exclusion of the seasoned middle-order batsman. On top of that, one of the most talented batsmen in the country, Umar
Akmal is not able to break into the Test team since the tour of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Zimbabwe-c3045 last year.
In case, the selectors decide to bring him back in the Test team, one of the youngsters will have to make way for the senior cricketer, which is surely the route PCB would not want to move towards.
Pakistan already has a number of players who are in their late 30s and they may call it a day in near future. The Green Shirts must learn from India’s example, as the men in blue are struggling in Test cricket at the present moment because they did not prepare
any young batsmen in the presence of veterans like http://www.senore.com/Cricket/VVS-Laxman-c2772.
It is never going to be easy for the selectors to keep ignoring a player of Yousuf’s calibre but they will have to take this bitter decision for the better future of the Pakistan team.
However, the upcoming domestic season is going to be of immense importance for Yousuf as he will be geared up to score some huge runs to put the selectors under pressure. Whether he returns to the national team or not, one thing is certain, that Yousuf will
always be remembered as one of the best batsmen produced by the country.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely of the author and do not represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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