You can always bet that Pakistan cricket will never be short of controversies. The rumpus created by Younis Khan’s decision to abdicate the reins of leadership for the sake of ‘taking time off from the sport’ is simply too hard to digest at a juncture when the national team is embarking upon an assignment which is going to be a tough test of its character in the coming months.

It’s unfortunate that Younis, who otherwise is one of the most decent sportsmen with no malice towards anyone, has to give in to the player-power politics that has been one of the reasons why Pakistan cricket is notorious for its inconsistency and unpredictability.

Critics, of course for the time being, are going to have a field day until the dust settles over the latest controversy.

Ijaz Butt, the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, in an abrupt statement on Wednesday announced Mohammad Yousuf as the successor to Younis for the New Zealand Tests.

He also remarked that the cricket board had no objection to Younis asking to be rested from the New Zealand tour.

But the PCB chief was unwilling to admit that Pakistan cricket, not for the first time, is facing serious crisis.

The revolt against captaincy has happened on several occasions in the past and the current scenario appears to be no different as like in the past there appears to be no strict team management to curb this disruptiveness.

Javed Miandad had to relinquish the job shortly after the Australian tour in 1981-82 when almost the entire squad, instigated by Majid Khan and vice-captain Zaheer Abbas, went against their young skipper.

Some 11 years later Miandad was again forced to resign which culminated in Wasim Akram becoming Pakistan captain. And guess what followed? Wasim, too, succumbed to the malignant player-power politics.

Younis, who reluctantly agreed to take over when Ijaz Butt offered him the captaincy after Shoaib Malik was found wanting some 10 months ago, was never really allowed to settle down into the job by a group of players with vested interests.

The catastrophic batting display in the last One-day International against the Black Caps in Abu Dhabi this week was a clear indication that disgruntled group of players had only one agenda — to make sure Younis was shown the door by the powers-that-be.

The PCB’s decision to appoint Yousuf as captain is not only hasty but also questionable because he was the same man who the then PCB chief Dr Nasim Ashraf overlooked in the aftermath of Inzamam-ul-Haq’s retirement following the shameful first-round exit from the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies.

Yousuf, obviously disillusioned by Shoaib Malik succeeding Inzamam as Pakistan captain and his subsequent exclusion from the squad for the inaugural World Twenty20 in South Africa, opted to join the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) before pulling out after the PCB persuaded him to cancel the ICL contract.

However, he did eventually join the ICL a year ago while publicly citing that he was not prepared to play under Malik’s captaincy.

It was only after the PCB granted amnesty to the ICL players that Yousuf was able to walk back into the squad for the tour of Sri Lanka last June.

This evil curse of player-power will obviously be playing on Yousuf’s mind as well, despite him being a vastly experienced campaigner who has had his own share of ups and downs in an otherwise illustrious career as one of the finest batsmen produced by this country.

Without being disrespectful to Yousuf, it’s a point worth noting that probably the most lethargic fielder in the current national team will lead the country while his deputy Kamran Akmal is a man who is known for ruining Pakistan’s victory hopes by crucial mistakes behind the timber.

Where will Yousuf hide himself on the field will make compelling viewing on TV sets during the coming Tests in New Zealand!

There is no guarantee that Yousuf will continue to lead Pakistan if the results of New Zealand Tests are not favourable enough.

Moreover, it is also very unlikely that the PCB would fall back on Younis given the swiftness of Ijaz Butt’s actions the other day in naming Yousuf as his successor.

In the given scenario, yet another captain is likely to emerge on the surface for the Australia tour which follows immediately after the NZ series. So don’t rule out the name of Misbah-ul-Haq just yet!