LAHORE, Dec 1: Mohammad Yousuf handed the captaincy of Lahore Lions to Mohammad Hafeez on Saturday, hours before the start of the National T20 Cup as intense pressure from the Pakistan Cricket Board finally paid off.

Yousuf wasn’t the only player who sacrificed his captaincy as Saeed Anwar Jr replaced former Pakistan fast bowler Abdur Rauf as skipper of Multan Tigers.

The move to replace Yousuf from Lahore Lions’ captaincy comes amidst strong pressure from the PCB which wanted Pakistan’s T20 captain Mohammad Hafeez named as captain of one of the 14 teams participating in the event.

The PCB had been demanding Lahore Region president Khawaja Nadeem to make Hafeez the captain and although he stood his ground, he finally buckled to that pressure on Saturday.

Just an hour before Lahore Lions’ National T20 opener against Karachi Zebras, Nadeem along with Yousuf went to the PCB offices at the Gaddafi Stadium and half an hour later, Hafeez was named captain.

“Yousuf respectfully offered Hafeez to lead the side,” Nadeem told reporters. “It’s a great gesture on the part of Yousuf who handed over the captaincy to Hafeez so that he gains more experience as a skipper.”

Hafeez had not been included in his home team of Faisalabad Wolves which is being led by Pakistan’s Test and ODI skipper Misbah-ul-Haq.

For the ageing Yousuf, it was the second time he has handed over the reins at the Gaddafi Stadium.

In 2006, Yousuf was the Pakistan captain but had to give it up in favour of Younis Khan on the intervention of then newly-appointed PCB chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf hours before the national team was to leave for India to take part in the ICC Championship.