ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s experienced batsman Mohammad Yousuf wants to continue as captain of the national cricket team despite being whitewashed by Australia in both Test and one-day series.

“I took up the responsibility (of captaincy) when nobody was willing to take it and will continue for the country in future,” Yousuf said after arriving back home from Australia.

Yousuf was made captain for the series against New Zealand and Australia late last year after Younis Khan stepped down.

Pakistan drew the Test series 1-1 against New Zealand but lost 3-0 to Australia in the Test series and was blanked 5-0 in the limited-overs series.

Midway through the one-day series against Australia, PCB chief Ijaz Butt was reported to say that the board would look for a new captain, though he later denied issuing the statement.

Yousuf said the team was disturbed by those media reports.

“Every player thought that he will become captain and because of that unity (of the team) suffered,” he said.

The country’s parliamentary committee on sports also put pressure on Butt to quit and recommended the accounts of the PCB be freezed. “We have highest regard for you, but it’s better you should quit so that someone else more suitable for the job (of PCB chairman) be appointed,” chairman of the national assembly standing committee on sports Jamshed Dasti told Butt on Wednesday.

The PCB chief later said that he had no intention of resigning.

“If any charge against me is proved I will not take five seconds to quit,” Butt said.

The PCB chief hinted that some senior players might be axed after poor performance in Australia, and ahead of a scheduled tour to England, where it will play the hosts and also a ‘home’ series against Australia. Pakistan cannot host international games because of security risks. “Not many senior players will be there for the World Cup (in 2011),” he said.

“If required, we might even change the whole team.”

Yousuf said the team needed to lift its performance, but warned against wholesale personnel changes.

“Our performance was not up to the mark in all the three departments. Had we done good fielding we would have won the test series in New Zealand,” he said.

“If you make many changes in the squad, the team will suffer.” MPs to meet Zardari

Meanwhile, a parliamentary sports committee will meet Pakistan President Asif Zardari to recommend changes in the national cricket set-up, which lawmakers believe has failed, an official said Thursday.

The parliamentary committee has grilled the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over its alleged poor management and the national team’s dismal performance on tour in Australia.

Pakistan was whitewashed which prompted the committee and fans to demand the sacking of coach Intikhab Alam and PCB top officials, including chairman Ijaz Butt.

Committee head Jamshed Dasti said that members of the committee would soon meet Zardari, patron of the PCB.

“We have already recommended the patron to sack Butt, who has failed to deliver, and sack coach Intikhab Alam, PCB chief operating officer Wasim Bari and bring some new people. Now we will request action,” Dasti said.

The committee also recommended that PCB accounts be frozen to stop alleged financial irregularities.

Former PCB chief selector Iqbal Qasim, who resigned over the poor performance in Australia, criticized a lack of team discipline.

“There is lack of discipline among the team players,” Qasim told the committee. “All players were free to issue statements and (each) said whatever he liked during the Australia tour.

“There should be some discipline in the team and all those who violated the rules must be punished,”Qasim, who refused to rescind his resignation, told a two-day committee hearing.

Butt has vowed to fight on, refusing to resign.