Karachi, Feb 4, (PTI): The decision of former Pakistan captains, Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Yousuf to go and play in the Bangladesh during the ongoing domestic cricket season has not impressed the national selectors at all. 

Sources close to the selectors said they were surprised that at a time when the two should be fighting hard to win back their places in the national team, they had preferred to go and play in the Bangladesh cricket league instead of representing their teams in domestic cricket.

Malik was not cleared for selection by the integrity committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board while Yousuf was overlooked for selection for the tour to New Zealand and for the World Cup because of suspected fitness problems.

One source said that the selectors would speak to the board about Malik going to Bangladesh while the national one-day championship was in progress and his team PIA was also taking part in it.

Interestingly, Malik was given permission by the board to go and play in Bangladesh after initially the PCB had rejected his application for the same.

But the source close to the selectors said that this was an issue that the players had to think about themselves.

"Why think about going to Bangladesh in the first place when the domestic season is on and any performances will count towards either of them making a comeback to the national team?" the source questioned.

The source noted that Yousuf had gone to play in Bangladesh league while the process for finalizing the World Cup squad was still on.

"His preference to play in Bangladesh rather than in domestic cricket at that time may have gone against him," the source added.

"Yousuf's decision to play in Bangladesh at that time left the selectors feeling he was giving more preference to money rather than to fighting to make a comeback to the national team."

Yousuf one of Pakistan's most celebrated and senior players was also banned banned and fined in a domestic one-day match recently for leaving the match early and violating the dress code of the PCB.

But sources close to the players claim that they had lost faith in the selectors.

"Look Malik played diligently in the Quaid-e-Azam trophy for PIA and also in the final and was a top performer in the competition yet he was overlooked because the board didn't give him clearance. So why shouldn't he go now and make some extra money in the BD league," one source said.

Similarly another source close to Yousuf said that the former captain felt dejected that despite scoring runs in the national one-day championship close to the World Cup selection he was overlooked without any explanation.