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That’s a serious question. We’ve genuinely forgotten where we’re up to.
He was banned for life, but then unbanned, but he’s still not playing for Pakistan. He’s playing for Warwickshire at the moment, we believe he’s got a spell booked in the Birmingham leagues after that and then at some point he’s playing first-class cricket in Bangladesh.
We only ask because while the Pakistan players who don’t bowl (the word ‘batsmen’ seems generous) were struggling in a low-scoring match against the West Indies, Mohammad Yousuf was defying a dangerous pitch at Edgbaston to score 109 and 68. The next highest score in all four innings was 58 and three of Worcestershire’s players either retired hurt or were absent hurt in their second innings.
So Pakistan could clearly do with Yousuf’s beardsome batsmanship. We can only conclude that there is an ‘issue’. Did we miss one of his retirements? It’s really, really hard to keep up.
It can’t still be as a result of the Australia tour for which he was given a life ban. That was over a year ago. An actual one-year ban is a great deal longer than a life ban in Pakistani cricket.
Is that soft-focus, uber-pixelation or a combination of the two, KC?
No-one who is that soft, unfocussed and/or constantly pixelated should be playing international cricket. Not even for Pakistan.
It is a tiny photo enlarged.
Mohammad Yousuf is very, very small, you see. Star Wars action figure small, in fact.
Ah, thanks.
That makes sense now it has been explained.
Bat Stevens.
You ruined his beard.
The story of Yousuf is a sad commentary on Pakistan the nation, and its Cricket. Born with the gift of elegant strokeplay, in any other country he would have been an all time great, beloved of the masses and feted by royalty. In Pakistan he would always be the son of a poor tailor and a low caste Christian. Sure, he would be publicly accepted into the fold after conversion as an example to other people stupid enough to be non-Muslims born in Pakistan, but never to be treated as an equal and never ever to be trusted. He could be let into the room, but never have a full seat at the table, and the seat at the head of the table – a seat once occupied by the likes of Imran Khan and Javed Miandad – that was unthinkable. There is widespread suspicion that he converted to be allowed a full slice of the pie, rather than the leavings that would be his. The tragedy is that even if he had a true revelation, the suspicion would never go away in a society as cynical as Pakistan. Yousuf was treated well by one man – Inzy – and until Inzy was around, Yousuf got a fair deal. After Inzy, his days were numbered, and the luxury of multiple mistakes enjoyed by other Pakistani players was not allowed him. Well born Pakistanis could never bear to take orders from him, and he could never be a unifying factor or leader in a team or a country where cricketing ability/sheer merit is no guarantee of success. In India, he would have been second only to Sachin, besides being a great symbol to Dalits. In Pakistan, he is an embarrassment to the PCB and to his mother. A sublime batsman, born in the wrong country, Yousuf’s tragedy is being the last real Pakistani test batsman in a Pakistan that does not want him.
That’s poetic as well as insightful. Thanks for that.
i want muhammad yousuf back in national team
i am the no 1 fan of him in tha world
Muhammad Yousaf should be playing for Pakistan – no question about that.
Please see Yousaf services for Pakistan, I am asking Mr.Butt and Mohsin Khan why you doing this? include Yousaf in Pakistan team.
nicely put.
Exhibit B, Milord – http://www.espncricinfo.com/pakistan/content/current/story/515605.html Mr. Kaneria, another non-Muslim stupid enough to be born in Pakistan, is the leading Test wicket taker for his nation, but is unable to prove his “integrity” to a body that makes the WICB look honest and well managed by comparison. They will defend Salman Butt, Mo Amir is a child who was misled, and even Mo Asif gets the benefit of the doubt despite being arrested for Opium trafficking, betting, and cheating. The lone scapegoat to show that PCB is serious about cleaning house is poor Danish.
It is pretty damning.