Mohammad Yousuf has been left stranded, not at the airport but by the Pakistan Cricket Board. It has forced him to lose one contract and it has lost him his place in the side. He is now ranting; but will it be enough?
Pakistan is going through troubles times, not least of which on the cricket field. With the Champions Trophy deferred, the Australia refusing to tour Pakistan and no Tests being played, there is a stalemate situation in the country. But now two of its players are also causing cause for concern. The PCB is perhaps perplexed on the way it should go for it to guide them to their respective destinations.
While unconfirmed reports suggest Shoaib Akhtar will still play in the four nation Twenty20 tournament in Canada despite the pending fine due to be cleared by him, Mohammad Yousuf is causing some serious headaches for the PCB. But the PCB failed to live up to their promises and now find themselves in a catch-22 situation.
Yousuf was one of the first Pakistan players to sign up for the ICL. However, with the fear that the player would be lost forever in representing the country, the PCB launched a full scale persuasion policy that involves even tracing Yousuf when he decided to go into hiding to get away from the media as well as his own Pakistan board. Yousuf was convinced he would have a role to play with the IPL and that he should not abandon the national duties just yet.
But when the IPL auctions came about, there were few takers for Yousuf. The primary reason was that he was not absolved of his contract with the ICL leading into a legal wrangle that prevented him from plying his trade elsewhere. With the issue remaining unresolved, Yousuf missed the boat with the ICL as well as an opportunity for the IPL. In light of the fact that he must now make a decision in the interests of his own cricket as well as not to lose the opportunity to make money while the others are cashing in, Yousuf is now forcing the board’s hand.
The PCB had not included Yousuf’s name in the inaugural World Twenty20 in South Africa last year and have now virtually stated that Yousuf is a specialist Test cricketer and hence, has no place for him in the one day international and Twenty20 squads. The decision has obviously not gone down well with arguably one of Pakistan’s great batsmen. What would have irked him would not have just because the loss of faith of the PCB to do all three jobs for his country but also, indicating that he could lose out on another opportunity with the Twenty20 leagues when his own board does not consider him capable of adapting to the game. After a year in the wilderness as far as doing a Twenty20 stint is concerned and with so few opportunities for Pakistan to play at the international level at the moment, Yousuf’s frustrations are now becoming more and more apparent as was his unfriendly banter to a local newspaper.
Yousuf is now being hunted by the ICL again and the chances seem more obvious that this time the PCB may not stand in the way.
For Shoaib Akhtar’s story on his impending selection, read:
Shaoib Needs to Pay to Stay
