Yousuf out to revive career

Former Pakistan middle order batsman Muhammad Yousuf has given fitness test in a bid to win back a place in the national team. Talking to journalists, Yousuf said he had done what had been asked of him and the results would be provided by the trainers.
“I am in contact with Dav Whatmore and the coaches suggestions will be beneficial, ” he said.
Whatmore wants to strengthen the middle order batting of the Pakistani side before the impending Sri Lanka tour by including some more senior players.
Yousuf who has not played domestic and international cricket for the last one and a half year has been practicing at the National Cricket Academy under the supervision of Whatmore.
Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Hafeez, Aijaz Cheema, Sohail Tanveer, Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal, and fast bowler Mohammad Irfan also appeared for the fitness tests. Fitness tests for players included in the camp will also be held phase-wise, later on.
Thereafter, Whatmore and fielding coach Julien Fountain will prepare a report on the fitness of players and will submit a probable list of players for Sri Lanka tour to the national selection committee.
He insisted that he could still compete at the highest level.
The 37-year-old played the last of his 90 Tests against England at Lord’s in 2010 — a match marred by the spot-fixing scandal involving three of his teammates.
He has not been considered for selection in the last two years because he has not played in domestic matches in Pakistan, but he took part in a workout led by new Pakistan coach Whatmore.
“I have given a fitness test and now the result is in the hands of PCB, ” Yousuf told reporters outside the national academy here. “I am ready to play for my country and still have enough cricket left in me.”
Yousuf rose from a poor background to become one of the most stylish batsmen Pakistan had ever produced, smashing 1, 788 Test runs in 2006 — a world record for a calendar year.
His career drifted after the PCB banned him for an indefinite period in March 2010 following the disastrous tour of Australia, which he captained.
The ban was overturned to allow Yousuf a comeback on the 2010 England tour, during which Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer were charged and eventually jailed for arranging deliberate no-balls for money.
Yousuf, who has played 288 one-day and three Twenty20 internationals, said he has been playing regular cricket and wanted to feature in the English county championship, though a deal with Leicestershire fell through.
Whatmore said the fitness of all Pakistani players will be assessed before next month’s tour to Sri Lanka.
“The fitness test was designed to give everyone an idea where they stand now and after a prescription of work to re-test and see the improvement, ” he said.
Pakistan play two Twenty20s, five one-day internationals and three Tests on their tour of Sri Lanka from late May to mid-July.