Yousuf pledges future to Pakistan

Prolific batsman Mohammad Yousuf has agreed to cancel his move to the rebel Indian cricket league and will be available to play again for Pakistan.

The 33-year-old, who scored nine Test centuries in 2006, had been set for the breakaway Twenty20 league, which also features Brian Lara and Inzamam-ul-Haq.

"We had a fruitful meeting and Yousuf has signed a central contract with the PCB," board chairman Nasim Ashraf said.

He is now available for the first Test with South Africa in Karachi on Monday.

Yousuf scored a record 1,788 Test runs in 2006 but his international future appeared in doubt when he agreed to join the Indian league, having been overlooked for the Pakistan captaincy and omitted for the ICC World Twenty20 event in South Africa.

"There was some misunderstanding between me and the board that has now been cleared up," he said. "I will now play for Pakistan.

"I did not know there's a clause in the ICL contract that priority has to be given to the league when the Pakistan team is also playing international matches simultaneously.

"Whatever I have achieved is because of my country and I am willing to do anything for Pakistan."

The Pakistan board is confident it has secured the services of their prized batting asset for the immediate future.

"He is the backbone of our side and we would now like to see him playing until the next World Cup in 2011," Ashraf said.

Source: BBC Sport