Younis still hopeful of making comeback

Accepting the fact that exclusion from the national team is not a new thing for him, Pakistan former captain Younis Khan said that he is confident of making a comeback to the Pakistan side sooner or later.

Younis, who has been deliberately been kept out of the national team by the Pakistan Cricket Board following a legal wrangle over his ban, said he had suffered many such setbacks in his career since making his debut in 2000.

"It is nothing new for me. In the past also I have made comebacks after being dropped. I know my time will come soon but at the moment I am just enjoying my free time," Younis said.

"I don't want to talk about the issue but I know that soon I will be back. I know what I am capable off. If I put my mind into something, I achieve it. So whenever the opportunity for comeback arises, I will be ready for it," he said.

"I remember last year when we went to the T20 World Cup I was captain but I was made to stand in one corner when the team photographs were taken. I made up my mind then that I will try to win the tournament for Pakistan and sit in the middle when the official photograph is taken," he recalled.

The PCB has refused to give a clearance to national selectors to pick Younis for the tour to England, insisting he has to first apologise to the board for his behaviour in Australia.

Younis was banned in March by PCB following an inquiry into the team's poor performances in Australia early this year.

However, an appellate tribunal later removed the ban in June, saying the board had acted hastily in imposing the restriction and advised the PCB to look at the case afresh.

The PCB has been forced to recall another former captain Mohammad Yousuf, who was also banned in March for the same reasons as Younis.

Yousuf was called out of retirement earlier this month to bolster the Pakistani batting line up in England after a string of defeats.

Meanwhile fast bowler Mohammad Sami, who was dropped for the England tour, also vowed to make a comeback into the national side.

"I have already made at least eight to nine comebacks to the national team after being dropped by the selectors, so a tenth comeback will not be a big surprise for me," he said.

"I am playing club cricket and waiting for the domestic season to start. I am confident I can do well in domestic matches and get back into the team."