PCB reluctant to send Younus to Australia

Karachi:

The Pakistan Cricket Board is not too keen on sending senior batsman Younus Khan to Australia despite the desperate plea for his inclusion by the touring team management.

PCB Chairman Ejaz Butt said it would be hard to justify sending Younus as he has played just one domestic match in the last two months and scored 11 runs in that game.

"How does one justify that? But I will be meeting with the national selection committee on Thursday in Lahore to discuss this request from the team management in Australia," Butt said. However, Butt said he would leave the final decision to the national selectors. Pakistan captain Muhammad Yousuf has asked the board to send Younus to bolster the team's batting in Australia.

The batting failed twice in the first Test in Melbourne where Pakistan suffered a crushing 170 runs defeat. The second Test in Sydney starts from January 3.

Younus had pulled out of the Test tour to New Zealand in November telling the PCB that he wanted to take a break from international cricket and regain his form. He was subsequently overlooked for the tour of Australia.

"...he didn't play any matches and neither was he available to us and despite our attempts we could not locate him neither did he bother to call us back," Butt added.