The PCB also imposed one-year bans on batsman and former captain Shoaib Malik and fast bowler Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, and imposed fines of between $24,000 and $35,000 on T20 captain Shahid Afridi and the Akmal brothers, Kamran and Umar. Afridi, Kamran and Umar were also put on a six-month probation.

The sweeping action followed the recommendations of a six-member inquiry committee headed by former wicket keeper Wasim Bari, set up after Pakistan’s disastrous tour of Australia in winter, on which they lost every match they played, and the team was riven by indiscipline.

Today’s decisions virtually end the international careers of Younis (32) and Yousuf (35), two of Pakistan’s best batsmen, who have between them over 12,000 Test runs and 40 Test match and 21 ODI hundreds.

The committee said that the “infighting” between the two middle order batsmen had “resulted in bringing down the whole team, (and) their attitude has (had) a trickle down effect which is a bad influence for the whole team,” the PCB said in a statement. They should, therefore, “no longer be part of the national team in any format”, the committee recommended.

The PCB had decided to implement the recommendations of the committee to salvage Pakistan cricket, spokesman Nadeem Sarwar said. “The committee was an independent set up and they interviewed around 13 players and studied the reports of the manager, coach, assistant coach and captain before taking a decision,” he added.

All the cricketers have the right to appeal the decisions in any court, and can also ask PCB Chairman Ejaz Butt for a review, Sarwar said. The PCB clarified that Yousuf and Younis can continue to play domestic and county cricket.

On Afridi, the committee’s report said: “For the shameful act of Shahid Afridi, which has brought the game and country into disrepute, he be fined Rs 3 million. A warning be issued to him... and he be put on probation for six months, during which his conduct be strictly monitored.”

Afridi was caught biting the ball during Pakistan’s two-wicket loss to Australia in Perth on January 31, for which he was handed a two-match ban.

The PCB crackdown left new head coach Waqar Younis, trying to prepare the side for the defence of its world T20 title in the West Indies in April, shocked. “I will be talking to the Board about this and see what happens,” Younis told reporters from Australia. The selectors are due to meet this week to announce Pakistan’s squad.

Rana Naved, who has been banned for a year, told Reuters, “I want to know what I did wrong. I will be consulting with my people before deciding any future line of action.”

Former captain Rashid Latif slammed the decision. “You can’t hand out such severe punishments to players of the calibre of Yousuf and Younis Khan,” Latif told Reuters. Inzamam-ul-Haque demanded to know, “Why was action not taken earlier against these players? Why did the board keep quiet for so long when the team was on tour? You don’t take such a harsh decision all at once.”