| Scores | Upcoming | Results |
Karachi: Younus Khan's return to the Pakistan team got prolonged after chief selector Iqbal Qasim made it clear that the former captain will not be sent for the final Test against Australia starting January 14. Instead he will be considered for the forthcoming ODI series Down Under.
Qasim told reporters yesterday that there was no logic behind sending Younus to Australia for the final Test at Hobart as they want to give him more time to regain his touch by playing in the domestic circuit.
"We have decided not to send Younus to Australia for the Tests as we already have a settled batting combination there and we don't want to upset it now after two Tests," he said.
"We believe that Younus has a definite role in the Pakistan team and we would like to see him join the team for the five one-day internationals," he stated.
"We want him to regain his batting confidence," Qasim added.
Of late, Younus has struggled for his form, managing just 11 runs in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final last month. To add to his problems, the right-hander, playing for Habib Bank, was dismissed for just nine and seven runs in the first round game of the Pentangular Cup.
In his place, young Faisal Iqbal has occupied the crucial number three position in the national team in Australia and has done fairly well.
Earlier, Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf had asked the Cricket Board (PCB) to rush Younus to Australia in time for the on-going second Test in Sydney after his team lost the first game in Melbourne by a crushing 170 runs.
But PCB chairman Ejaz Butt and the selectors turned down his request, prompting Yousuf to state that he was disappointed but there was nothing much he could do.
Younus, who himself withdrew from the Test tour of New Zealand last year in November because of his poor form and a desire to take a break from international cricket, has also lost the captaincy to Yousuf.
