Form and discipline kept Younis out - Afridi

Shahid Afridi, the Pakistan captain, has said that he wanted former captain Younis Khan in the squad for the tour of England but various issues, such as form and discipline, had prevented the batsman's selection.

"I wanted Younis to be in the team but, besides the issue of his recent form, there was also a bit of a disciplinary issue with Younis," Afridi told Geo TV. "One must understand I don't pick the team alone. The input of the coach and selectors is also involved in this process."

Younis, whose ban had been overturned by the PCB after an appeal, was not included in Pakistan's Test or Twenty20 squad for the trip to England. Ijaz Butt, chairman of the board, said last week that Younis' return would require clearance from the board, an issue that wasn't deemed to be an issue at all with Shoaib Malik, Afridi and the Akmal brothers, who had all apologised for their mistakes.

Afridi also said that fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, who made a comeback in the Asia Cup, would only play limited-over cricket for now. "We don't want to waste him or damage his remaining career by playing him in Test cricket," Afridi said.

Although Pakistan made an early exit from the Asia Cup, after beating only Bangladesh, they competed hard against Sri Lanka and India. Afridi's performances were impressive in the tournament: he scored centuries against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and took three wickets at an economy-rate of 4.60. "The truth is that in the Twenty20 World Cup, I had taken the pressure of captaincy which affected my individual form as well, but this time I focused on my own performances," he said.

Afridi will make a return to Test cricket after four years when he leads the team in Pakistan's 'home' series against Australia in England this summer.