The Pakistan Cricket Board banned Mohammad Yousuf from the national team after the veteran batsman rejoined the unsanctioned Indian Cricket League on Wednesday. “He is banned with immediate effect to play in or for Pakistan,” PCB Director Cricket Operations Zakir Khan told reporters. “We have also terminated his central contract.” Yousuf was cut from the 15-man squad for three limited-over internationals against the West Indies in Abu Dhabi from Nov. 12-16. He will be replaced by batsman Khalid Latif. Yousuf traveled to New Delhi on Monday, hours after the team for the West Indies series was announced, without informing PCB officials or team management. On Wednesday, ICL officials said the 34-year-old batsman had signed for the Lahore-based Badshahs in the rebel Twenty20 league. The PCB has banned all players contracted to the ICL from its national or domestic competitions. Other high-profile players on the outer include ex-test captain Inzamamul Haq, all-rounders Azhar Mahmood and Abdul Razzaq and opening batsman Imran Farhat. Yousuf signed for the ICL last year, but the PCB convinced him not to play in the competition so that he could continue playing for the national team. That prompted legal action from the ICL for breach of contract. He later tried to join the Indian Premier League, the Board of Control for Cricket in India-backed Twenty20 league that is sanctioned by the International Cricket Council, but that move was blocked by the ICL. Meanwhile in Delhi, Yousuf brushed aside concerns over his international future after joining the ICL. “I know I can't play for Pakistan,” Yousuf told a news conference on Wednesday. “I want to play, but the decision is up to them (PCB). (For the) last one year, I've not played Tests,” he added referring to the refusal by other teams to tour Pakistan because of security concerns. ICL officials said they were now withdrawing the case. “I made a mistake so I have come back,” Yousuf said. “I didn't talk to the PCB chairman.” No job offered to Malik The Pakistan Cricket Board has denied offering a job of head coach to former captain Salim Malik at the National Cricket Academy. “He was not offered any position in the PCB setup,” PCB Director Cricket Operations Zakir Khan told reporters Wednesday. The PCB official confirmed that the International Cricket Council had queried the appointment of Malik, less than two weeks after his life ban for match fixing was overturned by a court. “We have exchanged e-mails with the ICC today and we have clearly told them that no appointment letter was issued to Malik,” Khan said. The PCB's denial of a Malik appointment could also mean the retention of former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif as the academy's wicketkeeping coach. Latif had quit in protest at the Malik appointment. Khan said that the PCB has not received Latif's resignation and it looked as a decision in haste. – AP __
