PCB, Younis need to show maturity

Pakistan finally won a Test after a yawning gap of nearly three years and 12 Test matches. On the face of it, the Wellington win appeared a convincing one because the Kiwis were crushed by 141 runs.

However, with our shoddy performance at Dunedin earlier, where Mohammad Yousuf and his brigade lost a battle they could have won with little more application and skill, predicting the outcome of the Test series would be foolhardy.

And while the grim battle goes on between bat and ball in the Test series, the off-field saga of Aussie tour captaincy is getting more complexed by the day.

As if Younis Khan’s ‘request for rest’ from international cricket was startling enough, we are now experiencing an agonising wait on who would be leading the Pakistan squad to a country where we have never won a Test series.

One wonders whether Younis’ astonishing absence and the subsequent reaction to it by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) can be rated as acts of professionalism by any standard.

A recent media report suggested that makeshift skipper Yousuf, assuming himself to be the captain-designate for Australia, has already proposed changes in the team for the challenging assignment following the mysterious silence of Younis who also missed the recent Quaid-i-Azam Trophy games despite chief selector Iqbal Qasim’s insistence on featuring in the same.

Needless to say, if the hastily-made leadership arrangement for the New Zealand Tests is persevered with, the move will certainly have its ramifications given the complexity of the present national cricket set-up.

Due to this captaincy crisis, Pakistan cricket seems to be in a shambles. Sometimes one major change at the top alters many things.

The change at the helm has two major dimensions — Younis’ approach towards captaincy and the PCB’s handling of the issue.

The PCB, being the decision-making body, has always been expected to give top priority to safeguarding Pakistan cricket in any crisis.

Unfortunately, on many occasions the authorities shattered all hopes of tens of millions of Pakistani fans. The present management is no exception.

The glaring proof is the casual manner with which the board coped with Younis’ break from the game, accepting his plea without any queries or concern. Rather than backing the captain fully at this crucial juncture of his career, the Ijaz Butt-led PCB gave the senior batsman the impression that they were too eager to see him go off the scene.

Amid reports of differences with some of the players, a tough competitor like Younis was left out in the cold by the authorities who perhaps didn’t realise the gravity of the situation that had been developing quietly for several months.

The readiness with which Yousuf was appointed skipper also signifies a very frail understanding between Younis and the board’s high-ups over his role as captain.

The most bizarre thing is the PCB’s no-questions-asked acceptance of Younis’ request for a break citing rest.

How can Younis, who amassed a match-saving triple century in his first Test as captain earlier this year, feel ‘tiredness’ after leading his side in just four and a half Tests (including the abandoned Lahore Test against Sri Lanka), 17 ODIs and seven Twenty20s this year?

Younis’ declining batting form, his other excuse for the break, has also come under media spotlight.

Indeed, since taking charge in February this year at home against Sri Lanka, Younis’ individual performance has taken a dip but it is quite illogical to put his own slump as a reason for the team’s pathetic results or for his abrupt break.

Captains around the world face bad patch of different degrees. However, they do not look for untimely breaks like Younis did, in spite of enduring crammed playing schedules.

That said, Younis’s case should be seen in totality and not in fractions. The World Twenty20 triumph in June this year is huge on his credit.

Furthermore, a near-impeccable record as an amiable human being and his undeniable worth as an experienced rock-solid middle-order batsman make Younis the best possible candidate to pilot Pakistan in the prevailing times.

Sports authorities around the world generally take decisions based on a positive, forward-looking mindset. Whereas the PCB has gone in the reverse, installing 35-year-old Yousuf as captain for the New Zealand Tests in place of Younis, 32.

Without taking anything away from the 82-Test Yousuf, the stunning decision also shows the very limited choice the authorities have at the moment.

The option also augments the notion that if a younger player had replaced Younis as skipper, some members of the team would not have exactly felt comfortable.

Therefore, one strongly feels that above poor form or tiredness, something more serious and sinister led to Younis’ mysterious ‘break’.

The ever-present and growing player-power, undoubtedly, is a factor about which one can safely comment beyond mere scepticism. This long-standing, ugly feature has to be rooted out once and for all for the betterment of Pakistan cricket.

The awful way in which Pakistan capitulated in several games in Sri Lanka and their loss in the one-day series decider against New Zealand in the UAE last month is more than enough to substantiate reports of rifts in the team.

Through their experience, several former Test cricketers have also underlined it as the main cause for team’s poor show. It is only the current PCB administration which seems quite clueless, tentative in taking Pakistan cricket out of the present crisis.

The least it can do as damage control measure is clear up the issues that might be haunting captain-player relationship and work seriously to bring Younis back as captain while giving him appropriate authority.

As for Younis, it’s a now or never thing. Whatever grievances he may have against anyone, he should come out with a swift, direct response to all the rumours taking round.

If there are ‘troublemakers’ within the team, the onus is on Younis to discuss them with Ijaz Butt with a crystal-clear target, to lead Pakistan till the 2011 World Cup. It will certainly be a big service from him to Pakistan cricket.

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Pakistan cricket takes yet another u-turn

KARACHI: It was immediately after Pakistan suffered a stunning defeat to New Zealand in the one-day series decider in Abu Dhabi earlier this week that Younis Khan sought a meeting with Ijaz Butt.

The Pakistan captain wanted to have a heart-to-heart with the country’s cricket chief, who had promised to retain Younis as skipper till the 2011 World Cup just a few weeks ago.

Well-placed sources told ‘The News’ that Younis clearly explained it to Butt, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, that he was facing a revolt as most of his teammates were deliberately under-performing under his leadership.

“You saw what happened today, didn’t you,” Younis was quoted as saying in that meeting with Butt, by a source close to the middle-order batsman. Younis was referring to the fact that Pakistan collapsed from 47-0 to 101-9 while chasing a modest New Zealand total of 211 in the series decider. Most of the batsmen fell while playing rash shots before tail-enders Mohammad Aamer and Saeed Ajmal put on a sensational last-wicket stand of 103 to almost win the match for Pakistan.

“The chairman agreed that something was definitely wrong but stopped short of saying that he would do something about it,” said the source.

It suddenly dawned on Younis that his time as Pakistan captain was up. “He (Younis) immediately decided to ask for a break when he realised that the PCB chairman was unwilling to support him any more. He knew that the players revolting against him will not be asked to explain their below-par performance,” said the source.

Information gathered by this correspondent revealed that such fate was in store for Younis soon after he led Pakistan to a shocking defeat against the Kiwis in the Champions Trophy semifinal in South Africa last month.

According to sources, former team manager Yawar Saeed and associate manager Shafqat Rana had convinced Butt to sack Younis soon after the Champions Trophy loss and the trio had agreed to install all-rounder Shahid Afridi as the one-day captain and to give the Test leadership to Mohammad Yousuf.

However, things took a dramatic twist when Younis resigned after his team was accused of match-fixing by Jamshed Dasti, who heads the National Assembly’s standing committee on sports.

Younis, the man who led Pakistan to a memorable World Twenty20 triumph in England last June, received enormous support from all quarters. It forced to Butt to change his mind and extend Younis’s tenure till the 2011 World Cup subject to form and fitness.

Sources claimed that though Butt took that decision, he was not very happy about it and was relieved to let Younis go after the series defeat against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi. The fact that Younis miserably flopped with the bat in the series also went against him.

But is this latest change in captaincy good for Pakistan cricket? It doesn’t seem so.

More than two years back, when Pakistan were looking for a new captain after Inzamam-ul-Haq had to quit following a disastrous World Cup campaign in the West Indies, a fact-finding committee was formed by the PCB. It was headed by none other than Butt, then a member of the PCB Governing Board. At that time, the Board’s decision-makers ruled Yousuf out concluding that he can’t be a good captain. Eventually they settled on Shoaib Malik, a young all-rounder without any impressive credentials when it came to Test cricket. Less than two years later last January, it was Butt who dumped Malik and replaced him with Younis after a couple of embarrassing one-day defeats home against Sri Lanka.

If Yousuf was not a good choice to be captain in 2007, how come he is the best available player for the tough job now that he is older and nearing the twilight stages of his international career?

Secondly, it is an open secret that around nine of the Pakistani players were unhappy playing under Younis and wanted him out. By initially backing Younis and then leaving him on his own under the pressure of the revolting players will send all the wrong signals. It’s like telling the players that ‘if you don’t like your captain, just stop performing and we are going to find a new one’.

By bowing to the so-called ‘player power’, Butt has only proved once again that he is a weak boss who is not even capable of backing his own man.

Apart from Butt, another man who has emerged as the central figure in this fiasco is Yawar Saeed. It is common knowledge that the former Pakistan manager is Butt’s close friend and got the job because of that connection.

It was Yawar, who created havoc for Pakistan cricket by talking to reporters about suspicious characters approaching his players during this summer’s tour of Sri Lanka. Those comments enabled the menace of match-fixing rear its ugly head once again and caused a big headache for the country’s cricket authorities.

It was Yawar, who took Afridi for a meeting with Butt behind Younis’s back soon after the team returned home from South Africa last month and tried to get the vice-captain installed as the new captain. That move only added to fuel to the fire and encouraged the anti-Younis camp to continue conspiring against him.

Sources said that Yawar was unhappy with Younis because the captain wanted a free hand in cricketing matters. “Yawar wanted all the powers for himself and was looking for a more submissive captain,” said a source.

With Younis out of the picture, there is even a possibility that Yawar might make a comeback as manager for the tour of Australia next month.

All in all, just four months after conquering the cricket world at Lord’s Pakistan cricket is once again in complete disarray. With two very challenging assignments coming up in New Zealand and Australia and the next World Twenty20 championship less than six months away, that’s the last thing one wanted.

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Speak to me directly: Younis to teammates

KARACHI: Pakistan captain Younis Khan on Wednesday adjured his teammates to discuss fearlessly any issue with him and insisted he was not responsible for any communication gap.

Younis' comments came in the backdrop of vice-captain Shahid Afridi's revelation that some players had issues with Younis but were hesitant to approach him directly.

"I personally think that players should have the courage to fight for their rights and discuss their issues openly with the captain and management," Younis said.

Younis refused to agree that he was responsible for the communication gap in the team that has been highlighted a great deal by Afridi in recent days.

"I don't think I am responsible for this if there is any communication gap between the players it is because of the weak team management," he said.

The Pakistan cricket Board has changed the management of the national team for the coming series against New Zealand by dropping manager Yawar Saeed and his assistant Shafqat Rana whom Younis has blamed for the problems in the team.

Younis claimed some players of the team had complained to the PCB against him, which was the other reason apart from match-fixing allegations that prompted him to resign from the post before being persuaded by the Board to stay on.

"Yes, some players did go and complain about me to the Chairman of the board. I consider them weak people because if they had any problems they should have come to me and talked to me I would have tried to resolve the issues," Younis said on a popular sports show.

Younis admitted that captaining Pakistan is not an easy job and carried lot of stress and tension.

"I remember Shoaib Malik as captain used to smoke all the time," Younis said on the show.

Younis dismissed allegations that he was not good at communicating with his teammates.

"That is not true I have always remained a private person but as captain I have attempted to communicate with everyone. After we beat India in the Champions Trophy, I arranged an outing for everyone but some of the players didn't show up even as I kept waiting outside the hotel," he recalled.

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Younis says may return to Twenty20

Karachi: Barely four months after quitting Twenty20, Pakistan captain Younis Khan said he might come out of his retirement to play the slam-bang format.

Younis, who announced his Twenty20 retirement after guiding Pakistan to the World Cup triumph in England in June, said he was giving it a thought and would come out of the retirement if he felt the urge to play this format.

"Yes. I have given it some thought," he said.

Meanwhile, everything seems alright between Younis and Shahid Afridi, who was named the next Twenty20 captain with both claiming that there was no rift within the team.

After Younis briefly quit captaincy, a section of Pakistan cricket did not want him back and lobbied to get Afridi selected for the captain's post.

Pakistan Cricket Board, however, brought back Younis and made him captain till 2011 World Cup, much to the chagrin of the Afridi-camp.

Afridi himself, however, claimed he had no issues with Younis.

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Afridi: I told all problems to Younus

Shahid Afridi has said that some players had grievances against Younus and he himself acted as a bridge to resolve the matter.

After Pakistan Cricket Board rejected Younus' resignation and retained him as captain till 2011 World Cup, there were reports that one of the reasons for his shunning the job was attitude of some players including Afridi.

"Some guys in the team have problems with Younus Khan and as they are hesitant to talk to him directly they approached me to convey their problems to him," Afridi said without elaborating what the issues were.

Afridi said the players had approached him since they wanted a solution to all the problems.

"I told Younus about the issues conveyed by these players but I personally think it is better if the players talk to the captain directly and sort out the issues they have with him personally," Afridi told Geo Super Channel last night.

But the flamboyant all-rounder insisted that he had no personal issues with Younus and had always supported him as captain.

"I also believe every player should support Younis and I will always keep on backing him in any circumstances."

He also said that since he was vice-captain of the team he played his role in trying to improve communication between players and keeping the younger players closer to each other.

Afridi insisted that he had never run after the captaincy and felt comfortable playing under Younus.

"Captaincy is a big responsibility and I think Younus should continue till the 2011 World Cup," Afridi said.

Afridi also welcomed Younus' statement that he was thinking of making a comeback to Twenty20 cricket.

"If Younus wants to play in T20s again, he is most welcome and he can even take the captaincy from me. But like everyone else he will have to perform for his place in T20 cricket," he said.

The experienced all-rounder made it clear that whenever he and Younus have met their main discussion centered around how to bring about more improvement to the national team.

Afridi also talked about his decision to not play Test cricket until the next World Cup insisting that he was earlier interested in this but gave up after the selectors kept on sidelining him for Test matches.

"Now I am focusing on one-day and T20 cricket but that does not mean that if I get a chance to play Test cricket I will ignore it," he said.

Meanwhile, Pakistan captain Younus Khan today adjured his teammates to discuss fearlessly any issue with him and insisted he was not responsible for any communication gap.

"I personally think that players should have the courage to fight for their rights and discuss their issues openly with the captain and management," Younus said.

Younus refused to agree that he was responsible for the communication gap in the team that has been highlighted a great deal by Afridi in recent days.

"I don't think I am responsible for this if there is any communication gap between the players it is because of the weak team management," he said.

The Pakistan cricket Board has changed the management of the national team for the coming series against New Zealand by dropping manager Yawar Saeed and his assistant Shafqat Rana whom Younus has blamed for the problems in the team.

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No difference of opinion with Younus, says Afridi

Karachi: Happy with Pakistan Cricket Board's decision to retain Younus Khan at the helm of national team, his deputy Shahid Afridi today said there is no difference of opinion with the captain.

Afridi also rubbished the media reports in the country which said there might be a difference of opinion between the all-rounder and Younus, who recently tendered his resignation protesting the match-fixing allegation made against the team.

"There has been lot of speculation in the media and some people are also trying to create differences between me and Younus," Afridi said.

"We get along well and I am happy that he is captain and I will continue to support him wholeheartedly. I play with my heart and soul for Pakistan at every given opportunity," Afridi added.

Younus tendered his resignation last week after being accused of match-fixing by the National Assembly Standing Committee on Sports but the PCB did not accept the same and made him skipper till 2011 World Cup.

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Pak players don't want Younis Khan as skipper

KARACHI: Pakistan Cricket Board's decision to reject Younis Khan's resignation and appoint him captain until the 2011 World Cup has miffed a section of players in the team who were threatening to revolt if the senior batsman was persisted with as skipper.

"For the time being things appear to have calmed down and become normal in Pakistan cricket but given all that has happened after the Champions Trophy, it will take sometime before any healing process between Younis and the players who complained about him to the PCB is effective," a source said.

The source said PCB Chairman Ejaz Butt decided to support Younis and go against the disgruntled players after getting a clear message from the corridors of power in Islamabad.

"A very influential government official had already spoken to Younis two days back and told him his resignation was not acceptable to the chief patron of the board President Asif Zardari and the same person also had a word with Butt on the issue and passed on a clear message," the source said.

He said ever since the team's return from South Africa, some players led by Shahid Afridi had told Butt that they didn't want Younis to continue as captain and they had problems with his attitude and domineering behavior.

"Younis was aware of what was happening behind his back with apparently the approval of manager Yawar Saeed and he played his cards right by using the match fixing allegations to submit his resignation to Butt," the source said.

"The strong support from the media, people and political parties for Younis after he submitted his resignation took Butt by surprise and eventually he had no option but to ignore the complaints of the players," the source said.

He said the decision by the governing council to name Shahid Afridi as Twenty20 captain until the T20 World Cup next year was to appease Afridi and the other players who had even planted stories in the media about a possible revolt if Younis continued as captain.

"But now the players have been told to accept the fact that they have to play under Younis and the PCB will continue to support him. But at the same time Butt has advised Younis to work out his issues with the disgruntled players in the interest of the team," the source said.

A close friend of Younis said that the senior player was very miffed at the way some of the players went against him behind his back.

"He is upset and disappointed and he conveyed this clearly to pace bowler Umar Gul who went to meet him and sort out things," the source said.

The source said Butt was planning to have a meeting with all the players and the captain by next week before they go to Abu Dhabi and Dubai for the One-day series against New Zealand to try and diffuse the situation.

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Younis 'happy' to return as captain

Younis Khan has taken back his resignation, paving the way for his return to the Pakistan captaincy, satisfied that the environment in which he will continue leading the side is now more conducive than before.

Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, said on Monday that the board had rejected the resignation Younis handed in last week. At the same time he offered Younis the stability that he has wanted since becoming captain in February this year, saying that, if fit, he will captain Pakistan till the 2011 World Cup.

Younis said he was overwhelmed with the support he had received in the week after he handed in his papers at a National Assembly committee hearing in Islamabad. "I am very happy right now," Younis told Cricinfo. "The faith that the chairman and the board has placed in me again, it's good to know. The support that I have received from the board and the country through this time has been fantastic."

There were believed to be various reasons behind Younis's resignation, though he never openly stated them. It is believed that as well as the suspicions of match-fixing raised in the aftermath of Pakistan's Champions Trophy semi-final loss to New Zealand, murmurs about factions in the team and management working to undermine Younis spurred the move.

Younis met Butt last week and it is understood that he set down some conditions which would have to be implemented before he could come back. Stability of tenure was one, though those close to Younis insist he didn't want an assurance till the 2011 World Cup. A streamlining of the selection process, as well as changes in the team management were thought to be the other conditions.

Younis refused to go into details, however, maintaining only that, "the environment is good right now and I am very happy with it. All that has happened over the last eight months, all the effort is worthwhile now." Younis said he expects to be fit for Pakistan's next assignment, an ODI and Twenty20 series against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

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PCB rejects Younis resignation

The Pakistan Cricket Board has rejected Younis Khan's resignation as captain and has said he will stay on in that role, fitness permitting, until the 2011 World Cup.

The announcement, by PCB chairman Ijaz Butt, followed a meeting on Monday of its governing board to discuss the issue.

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Younus fate to be known today

The PCB will announce on Monday whether Younus Khan will continue as captain of the Test and ODI sides or a new skipper will take over.
PCB Chairman Ejaz Butt is due to address a press conference immediately after concluding a meeting of the governing council in Lahore in which he is expected to inform the members what he plans to do.

Pakistan cricket has plunged into a crisis since last week when Younus submitted his resignation to Butt, in protest against the match-fixing allegations made against him and his team for losing to Australia and New Zealand in the Champions Trophy.

The crisis has also created a clear divide in Pakistan cricket with one side pressurising the board to accept Younus' resignation and opt for a new captain while the other side believes the board should convince Younus to take back his resignation by accepting some of his demands.

The anti-Younus camp is propagating that if the board does not accept his resignation, it might lead to an open revolt by around eight to nine players in the team against his captaincy.

The anti-Younus side on also took great pains to point out that Younus exit would have no political repercussions with Sports Minister Aftab Shah Jillani making it clear that the government would not interfere in the matter.

"Younus met the Chairman last week and made his position very clear that he will only take back his resignation if he is appointed until the tour of England next year and secondly he does not want Yawar Saeed or Shafqat Rana continuing in the management set up," a close aide of Younus said.

"If the board wants the betterment of Pakistan cricket and the team, they must accept Younus' demands. Younus, on his part, has no issues playing as a ordinary member of the team but he will not like to be a toothless captain," the aide said.

He said Younus had told Butt to call those players who have problems with him to meet face-to-face and sort out things.

"Younus is a dedicated and honest person who will not tolerate anything less than 100 percent from the other players," he said.

Apparently, vice captain Shahid Afridi and senior players Misbah-ul-Haq, Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal feel Younus has been behaving like a dictator, believing he could be another Imran Khan.

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Younis wants captaincy till 2011 World Cup, more powers to retract resignation

Karachi, Oct.16 (ANI): Enraged Pakistan cricket captain Younis Khan, who resigned from the post earlier this week, has said that he would take back his resignation only after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) extends his tenure till the 2011 World Cup, and is given more powers as the skipper of the national squad.

During a meeting with PCB chief Ijaz Butt, Khan made it clear that he would roll back his resignation only if the board gives him a guarantee that he would not be sacked from captaincy until the 2011 World Cup.

Khan also stressed that he wanted more powers as a captain of the national team to ensure better results.

According to sources, Khan wants Butt to give the team management and the players a clear message that the Board will continue backing him as captain even in difficult times.

"What Younis wants is an end to all this uncertainty. He wants the players and the officials to know that he is their captain for at least the next two years so that they can stop conspiring against him," The News quoted sources, as saying.

Khan had tendered his resignation on Tuesday during a National Assembly Standing Committee on Sports hearing that was held to discuss the performance of the squad in the recently concluded ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa.

The PCB, however, later rejected his resignation, but not before the game's image was tarnished in the country yet again. (ANI)

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Nawaz urges Khan to quit one-day game

Former Pakistan test bowler Sarfraz Nawaz says Younis Khan should stand down from one-day cricket entirely rather than seek to hold on to the national captaincy in that form of the game.

Khan resigned as captain on Tuesday in protest at match-fixing allegations leveled at the Pakistan team in the recent Champions Trophy. He quit after appearing before a parliamentary committee that cleared the team of those allegations.

However Khan was reported to be considering resuming the job, conditional upon being guaranteed the captaincy through to the 2011 World Cup.

Sarfraz says Khan's resignation was intended to disguise his poor performance in the Champions Trophy, and that his faltering form means he should retire from one-day internationals, just as he had retired from Twenty20 cricket after leading Pakistan to the T20 World Cup title earlier this year.

"All this captaincy controversy is just creating more confusion in Pakistan cricket," Nawaz told Associated Press.

"Younis wants to gain people's sympathy by resigning from the captaincy and he is trying to hide his faults which he committed during the Champions Trophy.

"He should realize himself that he does not fit in shorter formats of the game."
As Pakistan's one-day captain, the 31-year-old Khan had scored a mediocre 441 runs in 18 games at an average of 24.50. By contrast he was averaging 55.85 as test captain, including a triple century against Sri Lanka this year.

Nawaz suggested opening batsman Salman Butt as the new test captain if Younis does not resume the job, while saying Shahid Afridi _ already captain of the Twenty20 side _ should also be the one-day skipper.

"The PCB should have made Afridi captain for both Twenty20 and ODIs instead of naming separate captains."

Nawaz wants Afridi to captain Pakistan in next month's series against New Zealand in the United Arab Emirates, which includes three one-dayers and two Twenty20 games.
"Khan should be dropped from the team because of his performance in the Champions Trophy," Nawaz said.

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Younus demands reign till WC

Younus demands reign till WC

Younus Khan told the PCB that he would withdraw his resignation only if he is retained at the helm till the 2011 World Cup.

Younus, who resigned two days back after being grilled of match-fixing charges by the National Assembly standing committee on sports, met Pakistan Cricket Board chief Ejaz Butt and demanded if he was to remain as captain he would want the job till the next World Cup.

A top PCB source confirmed that Younus and Butt had a long meeting and the senior batsman, who was being asked by the PCB chief to take back his resignation, made his stand clear.

"Younus made his position very clear to Butt that he is not taking his resignation back until all his conditions are met by the board, the most important being his appointment as captain on a long-term basis," a PCB source told PTI.

"He wanted an announcement that he will be made captain until the next World Cup so that some players who harboured ambitions of replacing him got down to concentrating on their game," he added.

The source disclosed that Younus had brought to Butt's notice about the intrigue by some players and officials to replace him as captain and also conveyed his disappointment that the PCB chief preferred to meet vice-captain Shahid Afridi, the manager and coach separately to discuss the ICC Champions Trophy performance.

"Younus also told the chairman that he was disappointed that the board didn't come out with a clear statement in favour of the team when the allegations of match-fixing were first made against them and taken up by the chairman of the National Assembly standing committee on sports," the source said.

Although Younus submitted his resignation to the PCB chairman during the hearing of the NA committee to protest over the match fixing allegations made against him and the team and the remarks by the committee chairman Jamshed Dasti but sources said the crisis runs deeper.

The 'Dawn' newspaper reported today that some players were not getting along with Younus since the tour to Sri Lanka this year and they also planned a revolt if the board didn't accept the resignation by Younus.

Younis `hiding from family members`

Younus Khan has hinted his offer to resign as Pakistan captain was prompted by other "problems" and not just the recent match-fixing allegations.

The 31-year-old offered to quit at a hearing before the National Assembly's standing committee on sports in Islamabad on Tuesday.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has not yet decided whether to accept Younus' resignation, with chairman Ijaz Butt saying he hopes to convince the batsman to change his mind.

The National Assembly hearing was convened by the committee's chairman Jamshed Ahmed Dasti, who had sought an explanation for Pakistan's defeats - in a group match to Australia and the semi-final to New Zealand - in the Champions Trophy in South Africa.

Dasti himself had accused the Pakistan team of throwing matches, but later back-tracked on those allegations.

Tuesday's hearing ended in uproar, but the committee exonerated the Pakistan team of match-fixing and said it was satisfied with Younus' explanation.

Younus, however, was not happy.

He told Geo Television: "It is sad and painful for me and, in fact, I am hiding from my family members after these nasty allegations of match-fixing.

"I have never fixed a match and never will.

"By resigning, I did what I thought was the right thing to do.

"I have worked hard to keep this team united for the last eight months despite problems.

"I don't want to elaborate on them but the last eight months have been tough for me and I have still trid to do my best as a player and as a captain to unite the team.

"I have always tried to lead from the front and I may have made some mistakes, but my actions have been in the best interests of the team.

"So when anyone accuses me or the team of delrately throwing matches then I have no option but to resign."

Younus has twice before rejected the captaincy, suggesting he wanted the leadership role on his own terms.

He said he was not averse to leading Pakistan again, but wanted a clear path.

"I will have a very frank discussion with the PCB chairman whenever he invites me to discuss my resignation," Younus said.

"There are some issues need to be sorted out like the term of my captaincy."

Younus also indicated he would not render explanations before the National Assembly in future.

"My job is to perform as a player," he said.

"The board and team officials are the ones who are the right authority to give answers if anyone wants to know anything about the team."

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Younis hopes to play India in the final

Pakistan captain Younis Khan finds himself in a unique position as his men take on Australia tomorrow in Centurion. Already through to the semi-finals, a third win in the group might help India, should they beat West Indies in Johannesburg, to join them in the final four.

Though Pakistan will experiment with their line-up against Australia to account for injuries as well as giving their bench strength a run, there will be no let-up in their approach. There is even a part incentive, says Younis, in the hope perhaps of playing against India in the final.

"I am just planning about each game as it comes," Younis said. "I wish for India to play in the final against us but we will not worry about that in our game tomorrow. We'll be trying our best. My wish is to win against the top teams, like South Africa, Australia and India. There is nothing in my mind about losing to Australia, and whether India will be out. It is only about what I can do for my country."

When Pakistan beat India by 54 runs at Centurion, it was one of the best-attended games in the tournament, in which crowds have generally been poor. The game was sold out two weeks prior to the match being played, prompting Younis to call for more games between the two neighbours.

Currently, relations between the two countries have cooled considerably from the mid-2000s, following the Mumbai terror attacks last year. That, in turn, has affected cricketing relations between the two and, until the Centurion game, they had not played each other in an international in over a year.

"Who was the biggest winner when we played at Centurion? Cricket. India and Pakistan should play. If we do not play, cricket will not benefit. Players become big names when they perform in these matches. The biggest sold-out crowd here was for that game."

Younis did, however, ask for these games to be treated as normal matches, appealing for calmer reactions from fans on both sides following good or bad results. "We lost to India in the Twenty20 final. Then we beat them the other day, what difference does it make? If we win a final, we'll be so happy anyways that we won't care which team we beat. All I say is, keep it normal. Don't hype us up too much if we beat India, or don't bring India down so much if they lose. This is not how life should be on winning or losing. Life should go on as normal. If Dhoni loses then don't get after him or get after us if we lose. Leave sports as sports."

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Younis fit for India game

Younis Khan will be available for the Champions Trophy fixture against India on September 26, the PCB said on Thursday. Younis suffered a minor hairline fracture on the little finger of his right hand during the warm-up game against the Warriors in Benoni on September 20 and had been advised rest by doctors.

Younis could have been available for Pakistan's opening Champions Trophy game against West Indies in Johannesburg on Wednesday but the team management decided against taking a risk so that he could be fully fit to play India in Centurion.

India suffered a setback even before their Champions Trophy campaign began, with Yuvraj Singh fracturing his finger during a practice session in Johannesburg. He has been ruled out for six weeks and, though Virat Kohli will replace him, his absence is likely to alter the roles of some of the main members of the batting line-up.

The last time the teams met in Centurion was in the 2003 World Cup, where India won by six wickets.

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I want to win CT or 2011 WC:Younis Khan

Younis Khan wants to win the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy or the 2011 World Cup during his tenure as Pakistan captain.
Younis said his burning desire was to see Pakistan win either the Champions Trophy or World Cup in 2011 and to beat Australia and India in Test series.

"Every captain has certain targets in mind, mine is that we must win either of these two major ICC events until I am captain," Younis told reporters at the start of the second phase of the Champions Trophy conditioning camp here on Friday.

"We also go to Australia later this year and we have never won a Test series there. I think we have the best chance of achieving this first time feat in the coming series.

Beating Australia in Australia is something I have always dreamed off," he added.
Pakistan all braced up

The senior batsman said Pakistan had a strong line up of players for every form of the sport but the real issue was to get them to click collectively.

"We have the players to win the Champions Trophy or World Cup and even beat Australia in Australia but we need to combine and click together," he said.

Younis said a Test series against India was always a big thing for him and he hoped that while he was captain bilateral cricket relations with India would be revived soon.

"I would love the lead the team in a full series against India as beating them would be a big achievement for me and a big plus in my cricket career," he said.

Younis said Pakistan had the potential to top its group in Champions Trophy despite the presence of India and Australia.

"When our team is clicking well and playing with confidence and on a high it does not matter how many teams we have in our group. Even if they are six we can still qualify for the semi finals," he added.

Alam is an angry man
Meanwhile, Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam lashed out the former players and critics for questioning his right to be coach at his age.

"I don't know why age has become such a big issue now.

The same people who are targeting me now were praising my work three months ago."

"I don't think age is any bar to being a good and successful coach. Infact the older you are means the more experience you have and this is always very good for a coach to deliver results," he said.

The 73-year-old former Test skipper felt that the current campaign against and the talk about his age was launched by vested interests jealous of his success who wanted to see him out of the scene.

"The coach of the national football team, George Kotten is 75 years old and still going strong. I don't think age should be made an issue until the coach is fit and keen to impart knowledge to others," he said.

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Don't put pressure on Asif: Khan

Pakistan captain Younis Khan is hoping that Mohammad Asif does not come under too much pressure when the fast bowler makes his comeback from a doping ban in this month's Champions Trophy in South Africa.
Asif has not competed since being banned for a year after testing positive for the banned substance nandrolone during the Indian Premier League in 2008.
The Pakistan Cricket Board also fined the paceman rupees 1 million ($12,200) for his 19-day detention in Dubai last year where a small amount of opium was found in his wallet.
"Please don't put too much pressure on Asif," Khan told reporters at Saturday's start to a five-day training camp in Karachi. "We should not put expectations on Asif because he has not played over a year."
"One can't expect him to take six wickets straight away and it will be amazing if he comes back and does well."
Asif's ban will end on Sept. 22 _ a day before Pakistan takes on the West Indies. He will not be playing the first match and the Pakistan team management has not made up its mind whether to include the fast bowler in a crunch game against India on Sept. 26.
"Asif will be joining the team on Sept. 23 and we will see if he plays the second game against India," coach Intikhab Alam said.
"It is not necessary that he plays against India but he is keen and is in a good mental state."
The fast bowler has been training separately for the last three weeks and bowled in practice matches during a camp organized by former test wicketkeeper Rasid Latif for emerging players in Karachi.
"Asif should be given more time to come back into rhythm and we will not be putting extra pressure on him," Alam said.
Khan, who led Pakistan to victory in the Twenty20 World Cup in England in June, was optimistic about his team's chances in the 50-over-a-side matches of Champions Trophy.
"We have worked hard in our training for it (title) and we are confident of doing well in South Africa," he said.

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