By IANS,
Karachi : Pakistan’s premier batsman Mohammad Yousuf Tuesday vowed to silence his critics with a forceful showing in the Champions Trophy in South Africa.
Yousuf, under fire for his below-par showing in the recent one-day series against Sri Lanka, said that he is looking to give his best in the elite tournament starting Sep 22.
Some critics have questioned the selection of Yousuf in the Champions Trophy squad, saying that the seasoned batsman is a poor fielder in limited-overs cricket. Those experts have been calling for Yousuf to limit his international career to Test cricket.
The 34-year-old player, however, said his critics should be aware of the fact that he has been suffering from a shoulder problem for the last few years, adding that the injury has affected his performance as a fielder.
“I always field inside the circle these days because of the shoulder problem. But I’m hoping to get better,” he said.
Yousuf said that he is currently training hard for the Champions Trophy in spite of the holy month of Ramadan. “I do my physical training and also some batting, fielding and running practice,” he said. Yousuf, who has piled up 9292 runs from 272 one-day internationals, has the complete backing of his captain Younis Khan.
Last week, skipper Younis Khan in spite of Yousuf’s below-par showing in the recently-concluded One-day series in Sri Lanka, saying that his top batsman will take his time to adjust to the demands of international cricket.
Younis said that Yousuf has returned after a gap of over a year, and that there is a big difference between playing the Indian Cricket League (ICL) and international cricket.
“He (Yousuf) was out of international cricket for more than a year and will take time to make adjustments,” said Younis. “He played in the ICL during that period but let me tell you that there is a world of a difference in the standard of that league and international cricket. I’m sure in time Yousuf will be giving his best for Pakistan once again.”