Pakistan middle order batsman Mohammad Yousuf’s successful return to the Test side has prompted chief selector Mohsin Khan to back him for inclusion in the one-day squad.Khan is confident that the former captain’s inclusion would provide the much needed strength to the batting order.
“Yousuf showed on his return to Test cricket at the Oval what a classy player he is. I have been saying he still has two to three years of cricket left in him. I also see a role for him in the one-day squad, specially with the 2011 World Cup in mind,” Khan said.
“He can play an important part in the one-day team and he can guide the younger players. In recent times most countries have relied on senior players in their one-day squad,” he added. Khan further said that Yousuf, who has an impressive average of 42 in ODIs, could have a key role in the team.
“50 over cricket is not just about having an attacking top 6 in your lineup. You need players who can bat 30-40 overs and provide the backbone for the batting lineup and for the other players to play around,” PakPassion.net quoted Khan, as saying.
“Yousuf can play this role for Pakistan in one day cricket,” he added. Earlier, ecstatic over the four-wicket win against England at The Oval, Pakistan skipper Salman Butt had described Yousuf’s return to the side as one of the catalysts for the victory.
The 35-year-old, who was slapped with a hefty fine and banned for an indefinite period by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) following the winless tour of Australia earlier this year, hit a composed half-century in the first innings and made 33 in Pakistan’s nervous chase of 148 runs. “Yousuf really helped and the youngsters have fed off his experience,” Butt had said.
