Yousuf to quit cricket
03/28/2010 12:10:50 AM
Pakistan batsman Mohammad Yousuf has announced his intention to retire from Test cricket.
The 35-year-old is expected to explain the reasons for his decision at a press conference on Monday.
However, the Pakistan Cricket Board's imposition of an indefinite ban on him, as well as fellow former captain Younus Khan, for a breakdown in team relations during the unsuccessful tour of Australia last winter is the obvious backdrop.
"I have decided to quit cricket," Yousuf told The Dawn.
"This is not an emotional decision. I consulted my family, friends and elders before taking it."
Another former captain, Shoaib Malik, was fined and banned for a year, along with Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, as the PCB carried out the stringent recommendations of an inquiry into what went wrong as Pakistan lost all nine matches against Australia.
Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal and Umar Akmal were all fined for ill-discipline during the tour.
The bans affecting Pakistan's top players raise the prospect of a significantly under-strength team travelling to England to take on its hosts and Australia this year.