Dubai: Newly-appointed Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf called for unity from his side on Saturday ahead of their tough three-Test tour of New Zealand, saying it would be a double test for his players -- on and off the field.
"My main target is to unite the team because our religion also teaches us to unite for a cause and the New Zealand tour will be a tough task for us," Yousuf told AFP.
The 35-year-old, who converted to Islam from Christianity four years back, replaced Younis Khan who opted to rest following Pakistan's 2-1 defeat in the one-day series against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi earlier this week.
Younis blamed lack of unity and control from the players as the reasons behind his decision to take "time out" -- but Yousuf believes the team members are professional enough to regroup for a tough tour.
"I am sure all the players realise their duties," said Yousuf, who has previously captained Pakistan in four Tests and three one-day internationals.
"For me all the players are equal and I will treat them on an equal basis.
"We will definitely miss Younis as batsman but I have asked the selection committee to bring in Misbah-ul-Haq as replacement who has the experience to handle the conditions in New Zealand.
0 comments:
Post a Comment