Yousuf lays into Malik

Yousuf is no longer allowed to play in Pakistan after joining the controversial Indian Cricket League last year. He believes choosing Malik as captain over a number of senior players was not justified.

“It is perhaps for the first time in Pakistan cricket that a player who is not a certain choice in the Test and one-day team has been made captain,” Yousuf media on Wednesday.

Yousuf was named ICC Test player of the year in 2006 after setting the record for most Test runs in a calendar year. He said that he has no regrets about putting his international career on the line by joining the ICL.

“The way they dropped me from the Twenty20 team in 2007 without giving any reason or criteria for selecting players, I was hurt and disappointed,” Yousuf added.

“Our board needs to stop toeing the line of the Indian board. What have they done for us? They even refused to tour when we needed a series most.”

Yousuf revealed he stormed out of a training camp in Karachi before the Twenty20 World Cup in protest after learning that Malik would not select him.