Younis makes emotional appeal to lift ban

Former Pakistan captain Younis Khan told a parliamentary committee on sports on Monday that he had been unjustly treated by the cricket authorities and the indefinite ban imposed on him after the Australian tour should be lifted immediately.

An emotional Younis Khan told the National Assembly standing committee on sports that he still didn't know for what crime the Pakistan board had banned him from playing for the national team.

"I still don't know my crime. They say I had differences with Mohammad Yousuf. But they were never serious differences. I was the one who took him to the board Chairman after he wanted to return from the Indian Cricket League," Younis said.

The former captain who led Pakistan to the World T20 Cup title last year in England also blamed the board for not doing anything to bridge differences among players when they knew something was wrong in the team.

"At that time the board did nothing to resolve these issues by getting all the players to sit together and sort out their differences," he added.

Younis said the board had banned him without giving him a chance to clarify his position.

"I am very frustrated as I want to play for my country, Pakistan has given me everything and my career is being wasted for something I have not done," he said.

Younis spoke after being asked by the Chairman of the parliamentary committee, Iqbal Muhammad Khan if he would like to say something at Monday's hearing of the committee in Islamabad which was attended by PCB chairman Ejaz Butt, COO Wasim Bari, former coaches - Intikhab Alam and Aaqib Javed and Pakistan team manager Yawar Saeed.

Iqbal Muhammad Khan noted that it appeared as if PCB had indeed done injustice with Younis as he was an honest man who wanted to do well for his country.

Butt agreed with the committee's observation stating that he had found Younis to be a patriot and honest man.

But he blamed the former Chairman of the NA sports committee, Jamshed Dasti for destroying Younis' career with his unsubstantiated and irresponsible match fixing allegations against him after the Champions Trophy last year.

In an emotional scene after the hearing, Butt specially moved to hug Younis and patted him on the back.

Younis was among the seven players who were either banned or fined by the board in March on the recommendations of an inquiry committee that probed into the team's poor show in Australia.

Younis incidentally stepped down as player and captain after losing a One-Day series in UAE to New Zealand last November and Mohammad Yousuf was appointed captain for the Test tours to New Zealand and Australia.

Younis was called up for the One-Day series in Australia but struggled for form.

Younis insisted that he had never created groupings in the team nor had instigated problems.

"That is why the ban shocked me so much," he added.

Younis and five other players have appealed against their bans and fines.