Date:01/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/01/stories/2008100157952200.htm

Sport - Cricket

Mohd. Yousuf to be considered for T20

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s selectors will consider bringing batsman Mohammad Yousuf back from Twenty20 exile for next month’s Twenty20 tournament in Canada.

“He is a world class player and definitely he will be considered,” chief selector Salahuddin Ahmed said. Pakistan, Canada, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka will compete in Toronto, Canada from Oct. 10-13 in the Twenty20 tournament.

The Pakistan squad will be finalised during the national Twenty20 tournament in Lahore from Oct. 4-8, with Yousuf leading the Lahore Lions in the 13-team competition.

Yousuf is regarded as one of the world’s leading one-day batsmen, but has played only one international Twenty20 match.

He was dropped from the Pakistan team that played in the final of last year’s inaugural World Twenty20 tournament in South Africa.

Critical of selectors

Earlier this month Yousuf criticised Pakistan’s selectors and even warned that Pakistan would suffer if the selectors left him out of the Toronto squad.

While Yousuf may be selected, Pakistan will be without paceman Mohammad Asif, who has appealed at the Indian Premier League’s tribunal after testing positive for the banned steroid nandrolone while representing Delhi Daredevils earlier this year.

Hearing on Oct. 11

His hearing will be held in New Delhi on Oct. 11, clashing with the Toronto event.

The selectors are also waiting to see if they can choose fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has sought a ruling from the Lahore High Court on whether Akhtar can play in, or for, Pakistan without having paid an outstanding fine of 7 million Pakistan rupees imposed by the PBC for the paceman’s disciplinary breaches and public criticism of the board.

“We have not yet been officially informed about Akhtar’s status, but if the PCB asks us to consider him, he will surely be in the reckoning for the tournament in Toronto,” Ahmed said.

The PCB has allowed Akhtar to compete in the domestic Twenty20 tournament as the board did not want to mix legal and cricketing issues surrounding the paceman. — AP