Yousuf hit a century for Lancashire in the Roses match

Pakistan batsman Mohammad Yousuf has criticised the amount of first-class cricket played in England.

Yousuf, who is nearing the end of his short-term contract with Lancashire, believes it has a detrimental effect on the national side.

Yousuf told BBC Radio Manchester: "I think there is too much cricket, with too much travelling for the players to get through in England.

"I think there should be one four-day game then a week's rest."

He added: "You need good first-class cricket to make a good England team.

"But you play a lot of first-class cricket when the weather has not been good and the ground is very soft.

"If you do that and play every day, you make players have injuries and that is why the England team has so many injuries."

Meanwhile the Pakistan Cricket Board has rejected Lancashire's request to allow Mohammed Yousuf to miss this month's tri-series against India and hosts Bangladesh.

The club signed Yousuf, 33, last month to cover for their Australian overseas player Brad Hodge who belatedly agreed to play in the Indian Premier League.

Yousuf's stay was extended when Hodge was required by Australia on their West Indies tour, to cover for Michael Clarke who was on compassionate leave due to the failing health of his fiancee's father.

"We just hoped that they may allow us to keep him a little bit longer and we asked the question but they indicated that they wanted to take a full-strength squad to Bangladesh so he will be heading back to Pakistan on Tuesday," said a Lancashire spokesman.

Yousuf is the third highest-scoring batsman in Pakistan's test match history with 6,770 runs from 79 games.