PCB reverse Younus Khan's demotion

PCB chairman Najam Sethi had intervened and proposed a change in the rules.

LAHORE: Pakistan's cricket authorities on Wednesday reversed a decision to demote star batsman Younus Khan from the top-tier of centrally contracted players following widespread criticism from the media and former players.

The 36-year-old was demoted to the second-rung of players in the central contracts announced last week because of a rule preventing players who play in only one format of the game from being considered for a top level salary.

Khan, who is considered one of Pakistan's modern batting greats, is now seen as a Test specialist having played his last one-day international in 2013.

A Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) statement said chairman Najam Sethi had intervened and proposed a change in the rules.

"The PCB chairman has taken notice of the rules relating to central contracts of players in which a renowned and star player like Younis has been placed in category "B", and ordered a suitable amendment to rectify the situation," the statement said.

"According to the new clause to be inserted into the rules, any player who has played over 300 matches in all three formats of the game, and has captained in all three formats will be placed in Category 'A'," it added.

Younus has so far played in 89 Tests, 253 one-day internationals and 25 Twenty20s, and led Pakistan to World Twenty20 title in England five years ago.

Revised central contract list:

Category A: Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hafeez, Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi, Junaid Khan, Younis Khan

Category B: Ahmed Shehzad, Umar Akmal, Umar Gul

Category C: Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Adnan Akmal, Khurram Manzoor, Nasir Jamshed, Abdul Rehman

Category D: Sohaib Maqsood, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Bilawal Bhatti, Sharjeel Khan, Zulfiqar Babar, Fawad Alam, Ehsan Adil, Mohammad Irfan, Wahab Riaz, Raza Hasan, Umar Amin, Haris Sohail, Rahat Ali, Shaan Masood, Mohammad Talha, Anwar Ali.