The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has rejected a request from English county team Lancashire to allow Mohammed Yousuf to miss this month's tri-series against India and hosts Bangladesh, a Lancashire spokeswoman confirmed on Monday.
The club signed Yousuf, 33, last month to cover for their Australian overseas player Brad Hodge who belatedly agreed to play in an Indian domestic Twenty20 event.
Yousuf's stay was extended when Hodge was required by Australia on their West Indies tour, to cover for Michael Clarke who was on compassionate leave due to the failing health of his fiancee's father.
"The PCB have been brilliant and very helpful in allowing Mohammed to extend his contract with us after Brad was needed in the Caribbean," the spokeswoman said.
"We just hoped that they may allow us to keep him a little bit longer and we asked the question but they indicated that they wanted to take a full-strength squad to Bangladesh so he will be heading back to Pakistan on Tuesday."
Yousuf is the third highest-scoring batsman in Pakistan's test match history with 6,770 runs from 79 games.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Warne rules out dramatic return
The manager of Australian bowling great Shane Warne Tuesday ruled out a dramatic return to action for the player in next year's Ashes clash against England.
Spinner Stuart MacGill's sudden announcement this week that he would play no more Tests has prompted widespread speculation in Australia that Warne could again don the baggy green cap to terrorise the old enemy.
Warne, who retired from international cricket in January 2007 with a then world record 708 Test wickets, raised the prospect himself last month when he said he would consider an Ashes return if MacGill was injured.
But his manager James Erskine on Tuesday said the 38-year-old was happily retired.
"Warnie's position is he's not going back, he's not playing Test cricket again," Erskine told Australian Associated Press.
"He went out on a fairytale and him coming back would be advantageous to no one. He's got no plans to play Test cricket."
Erskine said Warne had a full calendar and had no time to pursue a Test return.
"This year alone he has commitments on 198 days," the manager said.
Spinner Stuart MacGill's sudden announcement this week that he would play no more Tests has prompted widespread speculation in Australia that Warne could again don the baggy green cap to terrorise the old enemy.
Warne, who retired from international cricket in January 2007 with a then world record 708 Test wickets, raised the prospect himself last month when he said he would consider an Ashes return if MacGill was injured.
But his manager James Erskine on Tuesday said the 38-year-old was happily retired.
"Warnie's position is he's not going back, he's not playing Test cricket again," Erskine told Australian Associated Press.
"He went out on a fairytale and him coming back would be advantageous to no one. He's got no plans to play Test cricket."
Erskine said Warne had a full calendar and had no time to pursue a Test return.
"This year alone he has commitments on 198 days," the manager said.
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