Brushing aside reports suggesting that he is trying ‘shortcut’ to make his way into Pakistan cricket team, former skipper Mohammad Yousuf today said he will continue the hard work until his turn comes to don the national colours again. ‘I am not looking at shortcuts to gain an entry in the team. I am concentrating on continuing the hard work that I have put in and play at any level till I regain my place in the playing-eleven,’ Yousuf was quoted as saying by the ‘Express Tribune’. Yousuf’s comments have come after Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chief Selector Iqbal Qasim ruled out the immediate return of the 37-year-old, citing that the right-hander will have to prove his worth and play at the domestic circuit first. Yousuf, who last played for Pakistan during the five-match One-Day International series against South Africa in November 2010, has stayed away from any form of cricket for at least nine months.
However, the ace middle-order battsman started training at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) earlier this month and underwent a fitness test under the supervision of head coach Dav Whatmore, fuelling speculation of his return to the national team ahead of the Sri Lanka series. Yousuf also expressed that he won’t be disappointed if he was not selected for the Lanka series next month. ‘I won’t be disappointed if I am not selected for the Sri Lanka tour and will play domestic cricket to gain the selectors’ confidence,’ he said. ‘I have returned to playing cricket. I believe I can play for my country again and continue doing so for a few years,’ he added. Pakistan will play two Twenty20s, five One-Day Internationals and three Tests against Sri Lanka on their sojourn starting early June. UNI