Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan banned indefinitely by Pakistan

Pakistan's defence of the Twenty20 World Cup in the Caribbean next month and their Test prospects against England later this year were todaydealt a severe blow after four players were banished from the team and three others punished by a Pakistan Cricket Board inquiry into the calamitous recent tour of Australia. Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan, the last two men to captain Pakistan in Tests, have been banned indefinitely for "infighting which … brought down the whole team". Shoaib Malik and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan have been banned for a year and fined. Shahid Afridi, the captain of the Twenty20 side, was fined and put on probation for six months over his "shameful act" of biting the ball in Perth. The Akmal brothers, Kamran and Umar, were treated similarly and told their conduct would be strictly monitored. The former Pakistan fast bowler Waqar Younis, who will coach the team in the Twenty20 World Cup, told the website Cricinfo: "It's a huge shock for me, definitely. I want to speak to the board about it to get more details on it before saying more, but it is definitely a big step. It is a big step the board has taken and I hope they have solid evidence for taking the actions that they have taken. All evidence must be there and they must have spoken to a lot of people for this. Once a player is banned it is a label you have put on him so it is a big thing."