Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Former Pakistan Skipper Younis Khan Unlikely to Be Rushed to Australia Despite Team Management's Request All The From Australia

Captain Mohammad Yousuf has made another desperate plea for the talented number three to join the squad after Australia won the first Test at the MCG by 170 runs yesterday.

However Yousuf is still waiting to hear from the Pakistan Cricket Board days after team management wrote to the PCB making an urgent request for Younus.

The Pakistan selection committee was holding a special hook-up overnight to discuss whether they should send the extra player following yesterday's crushing defeat.

"Obviously Younus is a very experienced player and a very good player," Yousuf said after the match. "He's got a 50 average in Test matches. We miss him a lot. He is a very crucial number three.

"We already told them to send him -- they decide now. I think they have not decided yet. I don't know when he is coming."

The fractious nature of Pakistani cricket politics resulted in Younus, 32, stepping down as captain and as a player recently, claiming lack of team support.

Despite this, Yousuf claims that Younus is happy to return to the team and resume a 63-Test career which has seen him score 5260 runs including 16 centuries. I have spoken (to him). He (says he) is coming. He is willing to play."

Asked if Younus was happy to play under him, Yousuf smiled and replied: "I don't know this. He is coming and then you ask him. When I spoke to him, he is happy to come to play. He is a good person."

Younus missed the recent tour of New Zealand and has only just begun playing domestic cricket again. His replacement at number three, Faisal Iqbal, scored 15 and 48 in the first Test.

Even if Younus Khan does not arrive in time for the second Test in Sydney, beginning on Sunday, Pakistan is still likely to make changes to its line-up.

Yousuf declared leg-spinner Danish Kaneria fit, after he missed the Melbourne Test with a finger injury, significantly weakening Pakistan's bowling. The captain hinted that Pakistan may be tempted to play two spinners in Sydney, given its history of providing turning pitches, but will wait to see what it looks like before making any decisions.

"If it's the same wicket we saw last match, hopefully maybe two (spinners)," Yousuf said. The puzzling decision to drop impressive seamer Umar Gul for veteran trundler Abdur Rauf remains a mystery.

Yousuf suggested Gul suffered some sort of leg injury during the team's lead-up match in Hobart before the first Test, but other team officials claim he was simply dropped on form.

In the end, Yousuf claimed it may have been a bit of both.

"Umar Gul in Hobart was injured and is not in good form as well," Yousuf said. "He is a key bowler for Pakistan and . . . the selection committee here decided to rest him. I think hamstring injury. I am not sure, but he's got a leg problem."

Yousuf, who top-scored for Pakistan with 61 yesterday, believes his side had a reasonable chance of chasing down the record 422 required for victory, after resuming yesterday at 3-170.

"I am 70 per cent confident (that) maybe we will win, because 251 in 90 overs, if we don't give early wickets, maybe they are more under pressure," Yousuf said.

"But the first over put us under pressure. Johnson's first over killed us."

Johnson ripped the heart out of the Pakistani batting with the fourth and fifth balls of the day, having Umar Akmal (27) and first innings top-scorer Misbah-ul-Haq (0) caught behind with magnificent deliveries that swung away from the right-handers.

Umar hung around when Brad Haddin took a low catch, unsure if the ball had carried, but after yet another delay for technology, he was on his way and with him any hopes Pakistan had of creating history.

Not surprisingly, Yousuf praised Nathan Hauritz, who took his first five-wicket haul in first class cricket let alone Test cricket, with 5-101. "He bowled well because he got turn -- that's why he gave us trouble," Yousuf said. Hauritz also bowled with clever flight. Having been smashed for six by Kamran Akmal, the spinner offered another juicy delivery to have the wicketkeeper stumped for 30, ending the resistance.

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