Mohammad Yousuf says he was driven to join the Indian Cricket League by his poor treatment from the Pakistan Cricket Board.
Batsman blames PCB for exit
Mohammad Yousuf says he was driven to join the Indian Cricket League by his poor treatment from the Pakistan Cricket Board.
The experienced batsman has signed to play for the Lahore Badshahs in the rebel Twenty20 league, a decision that almost certainly signals the end of his international career.
The PCB have adopted a strict stance against players who participate in the unsanctioned competition, banning them from playing cricket in and for Pakistan.
"For the last one and a half years, the cricket board officials are unfair with me," Yousuf told The
Associated Press by telephone from Ahmedabad on Friday.
Visa problem
The final straw came when the PCB failed to organise his visa for the recent quadrangular Twenty20 event in Canada, despite everyone else in the squad having no problems.
"Unknown cricketers were issued visas and I failed to understand why I could not get the required visa," he added.
"Nobody from the cricket board informed me and I only came to know about the visa problem from the media reports."
Yousuf, a veteran of 79 Tests and 269 one-day internationals, remains eager to continue his international career despite his differences with the PCB's hierarchy.
"I have never said that I will prefer ICL over playing for my country," said the 34-year-old.
"I am even available for the Abu Dhabi series, but it's disappointing that the PCB has suspended me."
Money
Yousuf also hit back at some former Pakistan stars, most notably Aamir Sohail and Abdul Qadir, who allege that money alone lured him to the ICL.
"Where were these former Test cricketers when the PCB claimed that there was delay in my visa for the Toronto event?" he questioned.
"They did not raise any voice and now they are criticising me.
"I am getting more (money) while representing Pakistan and it's totally wrong to say that I joined ICL because of big sums of money."
Yousuf had already made one aborted attempt to join the ICL in 2007. On that occasion the PCB convinced him to perform a u-turn.
Other high-profile Pakistan players in the ICL include ex-captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, opening batsman Imran Farhat and all-rounders Azhar Mahmood and Abdul Razzaq.
