HOBART : Hapless Pakistan's tour-long selection dramas have flared again with Test captain Mohammad Yousuf blasting the failure to send his predecessor, Younis Khan, to Australia earlier. Younis will return to national colours after being named in a 17-man squad for the five-match one-day series against Australia, starting on Friday in Brisbane. But after watching his team's top-order once again collapse at Bellerive Oval, Yousuf was upset Younis wasn't called in to reinforce their inexperienced line-up during the three-Test series.
The former captain, who rested himself after feeling he "lost control" of his side in November, was forced to prove himself in Pakistan domestic cricket despite announcing his willingness to play last month.
Yousuf told cricket website Cricinfo there was no reason why the national selectors should have waited so long before sending Younis down under.
"You can ask the selectors about why they didn't send him earlier.
"We don't need to check him in first-class cricket. He has a 50 average and has been doing it for 10 years.
"We have to see him here, not there. Will someone also take my test (to prove form) from now on?"
Yousuf has endured a strained relationship with his national selection panel, headed by Iqbal Qasim, throughout the Australian tour.
The committee sent batsman Misbah-ul-Haq on tour in New Zealand after he'd previously been dropped from all forms of the game while vice-captain Kamran Akmal, an on-tour selector, was forced to reluctantly fall on his sword for the third Test.
Kamran had twice defiantly said he would not drop himself while his brother reportedly feigned an injury and threatened to boycott the Hobart Test in response.
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