PCB bars Afridi, Yousuf from playing first-class cricket

Karachi: Pakistani all-rounder Shahid Afridi and veteran batsman Mohammad Yousuf have been barred by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) from taking part in the ongoing President`s Cup.

According to the PCB, the players were not given permission to play because they were not on the rosters of their respective teams at the start of the tournament, reports a leading daily. Both players had expressed the desire to return to first-class cricket in a bid to regain form ahead of Pakistan`s upcoming season. While Yousuf has largely been on the sidelines and virtually lost his place in the national side, Afridi is expected to be part of Pakistan`s upcoming limited overs campaigns. But Afridi has had a tough time with the bat lately and was to return to the first-class arena after a gap of nearly four years. "On the one hand, the PCB tells me to prove form and fitness in the domestic circuit, but then does not allow me to do so. Since 2010 I have not been representing any domestic team, this time around the Port Qasim Authority (PQA) offered me a slot which I readily accepted," Yousuf was quoted, as saying. ANI