LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday while denying any show-cause notice was issued to Younis Khan for speaking out in the media against the selectors’ decision of dropping him from the ODI squad for the Australia series, regretted over the unusual development.

“It would have been better if Younis Khan had contacted the PCB to express his grievance for being ignored instead of speaking in the press,” a PCB spokesman said.

“We have not issued any show-cause notice to Younis but only a letter was sent to him on Thursday in polite words, just asking what exactly he had said to media on Wednesday,” the spokesman said.

“About his Friday’s talk to media, the PCB has not taken any action as yet as we have to see the entire video before deciding [the] future course of action,” the spokesman added.

Several critics of the game took the decision of Younis’ ouster with surprise, regarding the player — being the most experienced specialist batsman in the current Pakistan lot — deserved a place in the team announced last Wednesday for the Australia ODI series in the UAE.

However, the Moin Khan-led national selection committee decided to sideline the 254-ODI veteran from the said series to be held next month.

Moin however did not rule out chances of Younis’ return to the ODI fold, saying like any other player the right-handed batting warhorse could also stage a comeback by the World Cup, which was still almost four months away.

There are reports that the PCB think-tank has some reservations over Younis’ performance in previous World Cups. Therefore, it has decided to test a few youngsters in the back-to-back series against Australia and New Zealand.

However, if the selected young guns fail to deliver, it is believed, the think-tank may revert to Younis before the mega event.

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2014