Inzamam blames Yousuf absence for Pakistan’s humiliating defeat

By IANS,

Karachi : Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq believes Pakistan paid the price for excluding premier batsman Mohammad Yousuf from its line-up by suffering a humiliating 234-run defeat to Sri Lanka in the final game of the ODI series in Lahore Saturday.


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Inzamam told a TV channel that the absence of experience players like Yousuf has weakened Pakistan.

“It was bad for the Pakistani team,” said Inzamam who resigned as Pakistan captain and later retired after leading Pakistan in what turned out to be a catastrophic campaign in the 2007 World Cup.

“The reasons behind such a defeat are lack of international games and absence of experienced players like Mohammad Yousuf.”

Yousuf was banned by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after he defected to the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) last November. Yousuf later accused Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik of treating him shabbily and said that he was forced to join the ICL because of it.

Inzamam captained the ICL team – Lahore Badshahs – for which Yousuf played in the ICL.

Chasing 310 to win the series Saturday evening, Pakistan were bowled out for a mere 75 to suffer one of their worst defeats in ODIs.

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