PCB bans Younis Khan, Mohd Yousuf for indefinite period

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The Pakistan Cricket Board on Wednesday slapped banned and imposed heavy fines on a number of its top players for poor discipline and creating conflicts within the team during the recent our of Australia. Muhammad Yousuf and Younis Khan have been banned indefinitely from playing national cricket, while the Akmal brothers have been slapped with massive fines.

It was recommended by the inquiry committee that Kamran Akmal be fined Rs.3 million, while his brother Umar Akmal will have to pay Rs.2 million for misconduct. Shoaib Malik and Rana Naveed have also been fined Rs.2 million each, and the PCB has decided that both cricketers should not be part of the national team or take part in any other format of the game for one year.

A Rs.3 million fine has also been imposed on all-rounder Shahid Afridi for tampering with the ball during a T20 match of the Australian tour. The board has also decided place him on probation for six months.

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re: PCB bans Younis Khan, Mohd Yousuf for indefinite period

The PCB has struck against its players with a venom unseen in recent memory, carrying out the deepest cull of a senior cricket team in many years, banning and fining seven of its top players after the side's disastrous, winless tour of Australia. The board effectively banned Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf from playing for Pakistan in any format, while handing out one-year bans to Shoaib Malik and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan. Shahid Afridi and the Akmal brothers were fined Rs2-3 million for various misdemeanours and put on six-month probations.

Action had been expected once details of the inquiry committee's report recommendations were leaked in the press on Monday and Ijaz Butt, chairman PCB, had followed it up by saying "more than significant action" would be taken against players. While the punishments for Malik, Rana, Afridi and the Akmal brothers were expected, the action against Yousuf and Younis has caught most people off-guard.

"Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan, keeping in view their infighting which resulted in bringing down the whole team, their attitude has a trickledown effect which is a bad influence for the whole team, should not be part of national team in any format," said a board statement.

The PCB has stopped short of calling the punishment a life ban. "They will not be part of any Pakistan team in any format from here on," Taffazul Rizvi, the board's legal advisor told Cricinfo. "A life ban means they cannot play domestic cricket or any other similar cricket, but we are not stopping them from that. They can play domestic cricket or county cricket here and abroad."

Kamran and Umar Akmal were fined Rs 3 and 2 million respectively $35,000 and $24,000] presumably for their part in the run-up to the final Test in Hobart, when Kamran repeatedly and publicly insisted he would be picked despite a PCB release stating the opposite, and Umar allegedly feigned an injury and threatened to not play.

Afridi was fined Rs 3 million and put on six months' probation for his ball-biting incident while captaining the side in the last ODI in Perth, for which he has already been punished by the ICC. The PCB release called it a "shameful act" that "has brought the game and country into disrepute".

The six-man committee completed its report last week and sent it to Ijaz Butt. The chairman held a meeting with the selection committee on Monday in which he briefed them on the contents of the inquiry committee's report. He warned the selectors - now headed by Mohsin Khan - that he had "shocking news" for them and proceeded to inform them of the details of the report.

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Osman Samiuddin is Pakistan editor of Cricinfo

Feeds: Osman Samiuddin

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re: PCB bans Younis Khan, Mohd Yousuf for indefinite period

This is really good. This sets a perfect example for the younger players. Even though we will miss Yousuf and Younus very badly in test matches, the others will learn definetly learn a lesson and no player will be bigger than the team.

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re: PCB bans Younis Khan, Mohd Yousuf for indefinite period

This is what I wrote in other thread...

Although all of this is sad, for once PCB has taken some strict measures to tackle player power and monopoly which is commendable. But one important point to be noted, all these players are out of contracts since 31st December and will definitely appeal against the actions.

Sad and tragic end to two fantastic cricketers Yousuf and Younis!! Their quality will always be missed in test side.

Lets all move on, support whoever is made captain and defend our T20 title! Come on Afridi & co..

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re: PCB bans Younis Khan, Mohd Yousuf for indefinite period

Fantastic decision by PCB. Finally, Ejaz Butt did something right. Though I'd like to know what Yousaf, Younis, and Rana exactly did.

The press release mentions a tussle between Yousaf and Younis, so they should've elaborated on that a bit. Also, I would've liked for Kamran Akmal to serve some sort of a ban.

Hopefully, this will be enough of a warning to the mischief makers in the team. But again, this is Pakistan cricket... you never know.

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re: PCB bans Younis Khan, Mohd Yousuf for indefinite period

pcs sucks........yousuf n younis did nothing .........only fines should have been imposed on them...........pakistan cricket doomed now .......yousuf was our back bone in tests .......

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yah the backbone which produced really really good cricket in Aussie tour

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re: PCB bans Younis Khan, Mohd Yousuf for indefinite period

I don't get one thing though. On second thought, I dont get why they could not impose suspended bans rather than immediate bans? Wouldnt that have helped?

and banning Younis and Yousuf without presenting the solid reasons is bound to create further furore. Why cant PCB just be open in its dealings, draw the line under it, rather than creating further room for rumor mongering and media circus...

plus where is PCB's role in the demise? why has that not been scrutinized as well?

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this was not the 1st time v played there like that ......even in 2005 tour ve played like that n didnt win any match
than WHY NOW??????

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re: PCB bans Younis Khan, Mohd Yousuf for indefinite period

to me younis will always be the most loyal captain ..........he was the hero when he won the cup for us n now look at him he is banned ........
why malik was banned for 1 year while younis n yousuf for ever .........while malik is the biggest culprit of them all

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re: PCB bans Younis Khan, Mohd Yousuf for indefinite period

and now that Afridi has been banned AND heavily fined, it would be hazardous NOT to make him captain and hence re-motivate him after a demoralizing few weeks. He is tailor-made for T20 and we need to back him up for captaincy for title defence.

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There is difference between THAT aussie team and this aussie team!

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im sure they wont make afridi the captain ......already news r there that misbah or razzaq will lead

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The problem in Pakistan team is this senior player - junior player culture. Most of the discipline problems stem from this culture, where senior players feel that the junior players need to earn their respect.

This required major surgery and clean house which PCB has done. I wish they also make a statement to address that future instances of "senior player junior player" crap will be met with similar fate promptly.

Now - who is going to clean house in the PCB itself? The fact that they sat on this wound for so long that it required a major surgery is a testament to the fact that it only takes poor performance of the team as motivation for PCB to clean house and not discipline.

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Fresh from the aftermath of the disastrous Australian tour the punishment handed out is warranted under the state of affairs. This decision of the board will be welcomed mostly. However is this solution to the problems? The player power issue and other disciplinary issues?

I am confused as to approve PCB's decision for once taking an initiative to make the players realize that no-one is bigger than Pakistan and to quell the player power, or to disapprove this move as an impulsive reaction to the state of affair which they are just as much to be blamed.
I wonder if there were previous measures taken by the PCB to rein in the players and to "treat" their issues than to this "amputation" treatment. Why was this situation allowed to deteriorate to such an extent and come to this?

PCB needs to start managing the affairs of cricket proactively rather than the affairs manage the PCB and then reacting to the situations. So very typical. First let them loose and not set limits and not discipline them, then once catch the kid/student/player/employee as bad and just kick out.

PCB needs to set its priorities right and have discipline at its top priority. This would only be a good move if they continue to be consistent over the next years to come and develop a culture of discipline where players are groomed from the very first day to be disciplined. Else this would just be one off action that would not solve any thing but rather be harmful.

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re: PCB bans Younis Khan, Mohd Yousuf for indefinite period

‘The decision is beneficial even if we lose T20 World Cup’ | Pakistan Cricket News | Cricinfo.com](http://www.cricinfo.com/pakistan/content/current/story/451415.html)

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good. now this is a decision I can get behind because everyone has been disciplined. bye bye Maulana sahib. now go whine on your tableeghi tour. though I do wonder if the Akmals also deserved stronger punishment.

if something like this had been done 15 years ago, our cricket would have been much healthier today. even though our behinds will get whooped big time in ODIs and tests by everyone in the short term, this is a good move for the long term.

great job, Ijaz Butt and PCB.

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re: PCB bans Younis Khan, Mohd Yousuf for indefinite period

Samb, dont you think PCB should have given clearer reasons for Younis and Yousuf's life bans? It would draw a line under the whole saga. Now media circus, legal fiascos, will go on instead of a focused WC preparation.

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Ban on Yousuf and Younis yet Match fixers like malik get only one year ban? LOL

PCB and Pakistan.. every department within the nation.. becoming a laughing stock in front of the world..

Wait for Allah's decision, thats what I have to say.

Regards

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re: PCB bans Younis Khan, Mohd Yousuf for indefinite period

I was wondering how come PCB can make a sane decision of banning Malik and Rana along with heavy fines and warnings to Akmal bros and Afridi... and yet again PCB has not disappointed me... they have banned Younis and Yousaf without any reason..

moreover i don't think that committee-report had any issues/things with Y&Y as if there has something against them, it could have been out-lined in the reports leaked earlier... Now for the English Season, where Pakistan has to play test matches against England and Australia ( I guess) we are clueless to fill the place of Y&Y... i think PCB would have to eat its own spit yet again...

The decision has a smell of BUTT in it