Pakistan Super League: Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan Miffed at Being Ignored For Icon Players' List
Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan were unhappy after they were left out of the February 4-23 Pakistan Super League's icon players' list, which has players like Chris Gayle, Shane Watson and Kevin Pietersen
Pakistan's batting stalwarts Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq are unhappy at being left out of the icon players' list for the upcoming Pakistan Super League Twenty20 tournament, to be held from February 4-23. (Pakistan Sell Five Twenty20 League Franchises for $93 Million)
The iconic players's list was decided on Wednesday by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Current Test captain Misbah and former Test skipper Younis were both kept out of the list. (Pakistan Super League: Glitz, Glamour and Promises of IPL-Style Cricket)
Interestingly, Younis led Pakistan to their only World Twenty20 title in 2009 while Misbah also captained the national Twenty20 team. Both players are still active in this format.
"They are not happy and indications are that they will convey to the board that if they are not given leadership positions in the PSL franchise teams, they might skip it," one well-informed source said.
The source added that Younis and Misbah were upset after the PCB choose to pick Chris Gayle, Shane Watson and Kevin Pietersen as icon players.
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"Pietersen is someone who has not been given this status in any other cricket league. He has been sidelined by England for more than a year now," the source said.
"On other hand, Watson has retired. In comparison both Younis and Misbah are active players."
Younis, earlier, publicly expressed his interest in playing a leading role in the PSL.
"I would like to have a leadership position in the PSL, like say being captain or mentor besides being a player," Younis said.
The PCB ignored another former national Twenty20 captain Muhammad Hafeez from the list of icon players in the PSL.
Nadeem Omar, who bought the Quetta team, said each of the five franchises have to pick one icon player from the list of Gayle, Pietersen, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik and Watson.
"After taking one icon player each, the franchises can choose players from the platinum, gold, silver and emerging categories," he said.
Former Pakistan Test pacer Sikander Bakht also started a new controversy over selection of coaches for the PSL. He claimed that former Australian Test batsman Dean Jones was suspected of match-fixing.
Sikander said that Jones, who has been appointed head coach of the Islamabad team, was dropped from the Australian team and forced to retire because Cricket Australia suspected him of being involved in match-fixing.