Yousuf blames Twenty20 for Sydney debacle

Continuing his tirade against Twenty20, embattled Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf on Thursday blamed the proliferation of this format for his team's bizarre defeat in the Sydney Test against Australia.

Chasing 176 for a win, Pakistan imploded in their second innings for just 139 and Yousuf had no doubt that some of the players are interested only in Twenty20 and lacked Test match temperament.

"We had a golden chance to finally beat Australia in Australia and we let it go ourselves due to poor batting. I think the target of 176 runs was perfectly gettable on the Sydney pitch on the fourth day of the Test," Yousuf told a television channel.

"I get a feeling that most of the players are more interested in playing Twenty20 cricket. There is no doubt that Twenty20 cricket is affecting the ability of batsmen to play long innings in Test matches and it is something we need to look into in Pakistan," he said.

Even before the Test match, Yousuf had warned that Twenty20 would ruin Pakistan cricket since batsmen are getting fast money playing in lucrative tournaments and did not bother about Test cricket.

Incidentally, it was Yousuf's defensive tactics that let Australia off the hook in the second Test, prompting former players to demand sacking of the captain. Yousuf, meanwhile, felt the team badly needed a batting coach.

"When the team can have a bowling and fielding coach, why not a batting coach? A batting coach can definitely help the players focus on their job and guide them in working out minor faults in their technique," he said.

The Pakistan captain said there was a pall of gloom in the dressing room after then defeat but he had avoided scolding the players.

"If you do something like that after such a bad defeat, you only further dampen the spirit and morale of the team," he said.

Yousuf has also came in for criticism for supporting wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal who dropped four catches, missed a run out and struggled for runs in the Sydney Test.

Yousuf had said that he could not drop Kamran as there was no ready replacement for him in the team, neither was there a reserve keeper on the tour.

Incidentally, the selectors announced on Thursday that they are sending keeper Sarfaraz Ahmed to Australia to play the third Test in Hobart.

Sack Yousuf, Alam: Ashraf

Pakistan's shocking defeat in the Sydney Test against Australia has the entire nation seething in anger with former players today demanding sacking of captain Mohammad Yousuf, coach Intikhab Alam and even cricket board chief Ejaz Butt.

The aftermath of the 36-run defeat could be sensed from the fact that it also prompted a statement from the Presidential spokesman who appealed for calm and patience from everyone.

The appeal, however, did little to placate the anger of former players like Inzamam-ul Haq, Aamer Sohail, Moin Khan and Rashid Latif and administrators, who demanded that heads, should roll.

Former Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Nasim Ashraf felt it was embarrassing to lose a match after dominating the first three days and said Yousuf should be stripped of captaincy.

"What happened in the Test was so embarrassing. It made a complete mockery of Pakistan cricket and the entire team management. The captain should be fired for it," Ashraf demanded.

Also training the guns on the coach, Ashraf said, "If Yousuf was not right in his cricketing decisions there was also the team management led by coach, Intikhab Alam which could have guided him into changing his strategy."