Mohammad Yousuf
Mohammad Yousuf, born on August 27, 1974, is a Pakistani middle-order batsman who went on to become one of the highest run-scorers produced by the country in both Tests and One-Day Internationals (ODIs). Yousuf could have achieved so much more and become one of the modern-day greats, had it not been for some unfortunate circumstances in the latter half of his career. Jaideep Vaidya reflects on the career of the stylish batsman.
With a flowing, bearded look that resembled WG Grace, an insatiable hunger for runs that rivalled Don Bradman, an elegant and effective high backlift that he made his own and the ability to inconspicuously accumulate tons and tons of runs; Mohammad Yousuf was easily one of the most delightful batsmen to watch in recent times.
Former coach Bob Woolmer likened him to a Ferrari when he is batting and a truck when he isn’t.
With a pragmatic manner of scoring runs, but still elegant enough to make you go wow at his strokes, Yousuf ploughed his way to 7,530 runs in Test matches — the third-highest run-tally among Pakistanis, behind Javed Miandad and Inzamam-ul-Haq) — including 25 hundreds and 46 fifties. In ODIs, he is Pakistan’s second-highest run-getter with 9,554, behind just Inzamam, including 15 centuries and 62 fifties. It’s a tally that is hard to match, and if circumstances in his career were better, he would easily have gone on to be Pakistan’s greatest batsman ever.
More trouble with PCB
March 10, 2010, saw a colossal blow landing on Pakistan cricket just before the national squad embarked on a quest to defend their World Twenty20 title. The PCB, chaired by Ijaz Butt, imposed bans and fines of various magnitudes on as many as seven players, including Yousuf who was the captain. The seeds were sown during the Australian summer of 2009-10 when Pakistan toured the land Down Under for three Tests, five One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and a lone Twenty20 International (T20I). Mohammad Yousuf’s team lost all nine matches.
Captain Yousuf and his predecessor, Younis, were banned from playing for Pakistan in any format for an indefinite period. With both Yousuf and Younis being on the wrong side of 30, not many expected them to play for Pakistan again, at least till Butt was still at the helm. Yousuf’s case was particularly perplexing, as he hadn’t done anything so grave as to warrant an indefinite ban. He wasn’t the first captain to experience a total series whitewash and had agreed to undertake leadership of the side after Younis had unceremoniously given up in 2009 following match-fixing allegations.
At the end of March, Yousuf announced his retirement from international cricket in protest. “I have received a letter from the PCB suggesting that my presence in the team is harmful for the team and so I announce my retirement from international cricket,” Yousuf said. “I thank fans around the world, all the senior players and family members for supporting me throughout my 12-year career. I have always played for my country and if my playing is harmful for the team then I don’t want to play.”
However, Yousuf and Younis were both recalled by Pakistan to the national squad after a dismal start to the England tour that August. Yousuf played the entire tour, in both Tests and one-dayers, before being dropped again. His final match for Pakistan till date was an ODI against South Africa in Dubai, where he scored just three runs.
Yousuf tried to make another return to the team by playing domestic cricket, on the board’s own suggestion, but, in November 2012 hit out at them for not letting him play in the President’s Trophy First-Class tournament despite domestic performance being a pre-requisite for national selection. “I don’t understand the attitude of the board. On one hand the selectors say I must play in domestic cricket to prove my form and fitness and on other hand the board is not giving me clearance to play in the tournament,” Yousuf said.
In May 2013, some media channels reported that Yousuf had retired from international cricket. However, Yousuf denied the reports and said, “I am already out of the Pakistan team and haven’t played top class cricket for a while now so what is the purpose of me announcing any retirement.
“The selectors are not considering me for selection and frankly speaking I haven’t had the chance to play regular cricket for a while now.”
At 39 years of age, at the time of writing, there does not seem to be any way back for Yousuf into the team. Whatever said and done, it does seem like a sad end to an illustrious career which warrants a place for him in the society of modern-day greats.
Mohammad Yousuf
Mohammad Yousuf
Mohammad Yousuf
Mohammad Yousuf
Mohammad Yousuf
Mohammad Yousuf
Mohammad Yousuf
Mohammad Yousuf
Mohammad Yousuf
Mohammad Yousuf
Mohammad Yousuf
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