The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has thrown a Twenty20 lifeline to senior batsman Mohammad Yousuf after naming him among the probables for a four-nation tournament in Toronto next month. Pakistan's top test and one-day batsman, who has bitterly complained in the media for being ignored for Twenty20 matches, is among the players for whom the PCB has sought visas.
"Yousuf's name has been sent as he is very keen to play in this form of the game. "If performs well in the national T20 championship, he can be considered for the Toronto event," a board official told Reuters on Monday. Yousuf, 34, who has played in 79 tests and 269 one-day internationals, has played only one Twenty20 international, in 2006.
"I don't think Twenty20 cricket is all about sloggers who hit out wildly. Even in this cricket you need a batsman who can play proper cricket," Yousuf told Reuters. "Considering the easy wickets nowadays, getting seven to eight runs per over in the start is not that difficult and towards the end you can hit 15 to 20 runs per over,"
The selectors are due to announce a 15-member squad for the Toronto event, also featuring Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Canada, during the national Twenty20 championship starting on October 4.