Yousuf eyes Pakistan return after quitting ICL

Lahore, May 02: Former Pakistan batsman Mohammad Yousuf said he had snapped his ties with the Indian Cricket League and was available to play for the country.

The 34-year-old joined the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) last year, on the same day as he was named in the squad for Pakistan`s three-match series against the West Indies in Abu Dhabi.

As the ICL was not recognised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the International Cricket Council (ICC), Yousuf and his fellow players were barred from playing for Pakistan.

The Sindh province high court suspended the bans on the ICL players in February this year, paving the way for them to play in domestic matches. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said ICL players can only play for the country if they quit the league.

“I am available to play for Pakistan which has always been my priority,” said Yousuf. “I have resigned from the ICL and have spoken to captain Younus Khan about my playing for Pakistan,” Yousuf said.

Yousuf, who played the last of his 269 one-day matches in Karachi in July last year, first joined the league in protest after he was omitted from Pakistan`s team for the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa in 2007.

The then PCB management persuaded him to abandon the ICL contract and instead got him a contract with the Indian Premier League, sanctioned by both the BCCI and the ICC.

However, Yousuf rejoined the ICL in November last year and played for them in their second tournament.

Yousuf said he returned to the ICL after developing differences with the then captain Shoaib Malik.

“I had a problem with the captain at that time so I left. I had issues with the previous board administration as well,” said Yousuf, who set a world record of most runs in a calendar year with 1,788 in 2006.

“Now I have no problems at all with (present captain) Younus (Khan), or this board. The country comes first and this board has offered me to play for Pakistan once I leave the ICL.”

Yousuf has so far scored 6,770 runs in 79 Tests besides a tally of 9,242 in 269 one-day internationals. He was declared best batsman of the year by the ICC in 2007.