Playing in UAE will damage Pakistan cricket, warns Mohammad Yousuf

Mohammad Yousuf
Yousuf was not impressed with the pitches on offer in UAE

In a strongly worded warning to Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), former captain Mohammad Yousuf has called for the country’s ‘home’ matches to be moved out of UAE. Speaking to PTI, the 41-year old predicted that such a move is necessary in order to prevent long-term damages to Pakistan’s cricket fortunes.

Yousuf claimed, “Playing on the flat and low bounce pitches of Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai has already affected our cricket and our players and if we don’t stop organizing our series there it will eventually damage our cricket. Sri Lanka or Bangladesh are far better options as conditions there are more suited for cricket”

Since being forced to adopt UAE as their destination for hosting all international matches due to security issues in 2010, Pakistan have built a formidable record under grueling conditions in the desert. In particular, their batsmen are well acquainted to the docile surfaces and pile on the runs consistently.

However, Yousuf was not satisfied with milestones and instead opted to focus on the future by asserting, “If it is all about creating records, fine. But it is not helping our cricket in anyway and we will stop producing players capable of playing on any surface in a few years time if we continue playing our home series in UAE.”

Also Read: Mohammad Yousuf picks Joe Root over Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers as best batsman in the world

Currently, Pakistan are engaged in a 4-match Test series in England and the outspoken character went on believe that the visitors have been lucky to play on rather benign pitches so far.

He felt, “And let us be straight so far we have not encountered any typical English pitch in the ongoing series.” Yousuf also criticized the increasing influence of T20 cricket on the techniques of upcoming players.

‘T20 cannot produce technically sound players’

Concerned about the number of T20 leagues blossoming around the world, Yousuf advised, “T20 cricket if allowed to be held uncontrolled will also eventually damage our cricket and our players and we will end up like the West Indies is struggling now in the longer format. T20 not a format where which can produce technically sound players.”

Citing the example of India placing emphasis on their first-class circuit, he opined, “That is why most of their (India’s) young players also who come into the IPL are technically very sound.”

Following the financial impact of tournaments such as the IPL, Big Bash and CPL, PCB launched the Pakistan Super League (PSL) during the end of 2015. Incidentally, the inaugural season was played in February this year at UAE.

Yousuf noted, “At present ,there is a mushrooming of T20 cricket so much so that even at the club level and schools level there is too much emphasis on T20 cricket. We need to have more 40 over and 50 over games at the lower level or we wouldn’t produce technically sound players.”

Brand-new app in a brand-new avatar! Download Cric Rocket for fast cricket scores, rocket flicks, super notifications and much more!

Quick Links

Edited by Staff Editor