Pakistan's Younus Khan has ban overturned on appeal

KARACHI (Reuters) - Former Pakistan captain Younus Khan is free to return to international cricket after the indefinite ban he received for ill-discipline during the side's tour of Australia was overturned by an appeals judge on Saturday.
Retired judge Irfan Qadir, who was nominated by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to reside over the appeals of all but one of seven players the body either banned or fined in March, said there were no grounds for the penalty on the batsman.
"The PCB gave an open-handed judgement while banning Younus. He was not given a chance to defend himself," Qadir told the media after the hearing in Lahore.
The shambolic Australia tour, where Pakistan lost every match, led the PCB to slap bans on Younus, fellow former captains Muhammad Yousuf and Shoaib Malik and paceman Rana Naved following a probe into reports of disunity among the touring party.
Although Younus was overlooked for the Asia Cup one-day international tournament in Sri Lanka later this month because his ban was still in place when the squad was announced on Thursday, the player expressed his delight at the decision.
"I don't mind not being selected in the Asia Cup as it was more important for me to have this blot removed from my name," Younus told Pakistan's Neo Super Channel from England where he is playing county cricket for Surrey.
"I have always given 100 percent for my country and I am available whenever the selectors want me back," he added.
"It is a big victory for us as my client didn't back down from his argument that there was no justification for the ban on him," Younus's lawyer Ahmed Qayyum told Reuters.

YOUSUF RETIRES
As well as the four bannings, the inquiry committee also recommended fines for Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal and Umar Akmal for indiscipline and misconduct on the tour.
Yousuf, who led Pakistan in the Australia tour that ended in February, responded by announcing his retirement but the remaining six players appealed against the penalties, and last week Qadir overturned Malik's ban.
The retired judge also revoked Afridi's three million rupee ($35,269) fine and halved those of the Akmal brothers.
PCB lawyer Talib Rizvi confirmed that Qadir made it clear that if the board felt there were grounds for disciplinary action against Younus, it should send him a proper show cause order beforehand.
"The players have been relieved of the penalties in the national interest and after they assured the board they would adhere to disciplinary procedures in future," Rizvi told reporters.
Naved remains the only player pending the result of a claim against his ban and fine although Rizvi said Yousuf could also have his penalties waived if he lodged an appeal.