Younis, Yousuf barred from international cricket

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ISLAMABAD, Mar 10 (AP): The Pakistan Cricket Board has barred former captains Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan from the national team indefinitely for behaviour they say contributed to Pakistan's poor performance on its recent tour of Australia.
The PCB on Wednesday also imposed one-year bans on Shoaib Malik and Rana Naved after implementing the recommendations of an inquiry committee formed to evaluate Pakistan's dismal performance against Australia in December and January. "Younis and Yousuf both cannot represent Pakistan in any international games, but they can play in domestic cricket and compete in county cricket," PCB legal adviser Taffazul Rizvi told the Associated Press.
Both Yousuf and Younis were involved in infighting while on tour, which resulted in bringing down the whole team, the PCB said in a statement.
"Their attitude has a trickle down effect which is a bad influence for the whole team," it said.
Malik and Naved were also fined two million rupees (US$23,500), wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal was handed a fine of three million rupees (US$35,200) and Umar Akmal, younger brother of Kamran, was fined two million rupees (US$23,500).
Shahid Afridi was fined 3 million rupees (US$35,200) for ball tampering during the one-day series against Australia. Afridi and both Akmal brothers will be on a probation of six months during which their conduct will be strictly monitored, the PCB said in a statement.
The inquiry committee comprised PCB chief operating officer Wasim Bari, board member Wazir Ali Khoja, director of cricket operations Zakir Khan, team manager Yawar Saeed and Rizvi. The players who were handed suspensions and fines appeared before the committee while other team officials - coach Intikhab Alam, assistant coach Aaqib Javed, the then manager Abdul Raqeeb, physiotherapist Faisal Hayat and analyst Mohammad Talha - were also interviewed.
"All the recommendations of the inquiry committee were unanimous," Rizvi said.
The committee also looked into manager and coaches reports of Pakistan's tour last year to the United Arab Emirates for a one-day series against New Zealand, its test series in New Zealand and the disastrous tour of Australia where the team was routed 3-0 in the test series and 5-0 in the one-day series.
The penalties were the largest handed out in almost 10 years, since Justice Qayyum's report on match-fixing in 2000 when Salim Malik and Ata-ur-Rehman were handed life bans and several players including Wasim Akram and now national coach Waqar Younis were fined.
In recent months, Pakistan parliamentarians have also voiced their concerns over the national team's indiscipline and welcomed Wednesday's bans and fines.
"Indiscipline is the biggest corruption in our cricket team and today's decisions vindicate our stance that accountability should be there," chairman of Pakistan government's standing committee on sports Jamshed Dasti told The AP.
Former Pakistan test captain Ramiz Raja said the national team needed certain direction on discipline, but felt barring players from international competition was extreme.
"Our main problem was discipline, but barring players, I am not sure, it doesn't look nice to just end the international careers of such talented players," Raja told The AP.
"I think the PCB should have fined both Yousuf and Younis like they did to the others and set an example for other players, but banning them is a bit harsh to me."
Another former test captain Inzamam-ul-Haq questioned the formation of the committee and described the banning of Yousuf and Younis as the "totally wrong decision."
"The committee comprised employees of the PCB and there was no neutral person in it," Inzamam told Geo Television. "You cannot ban someone from playing international cricket on just disciplinary grounds."
Both Yousuf and Younis have led Pakistan in international cricket over the last 12 months.