Mohd Yousuf says no to World Cup advertisement

KARACHI: Pakistan batsman Mohammad Yousuf has refused to be photographed for a special World Cup campaign launched by a major sponsor of the team and the Pakistan Cricket Board.   

The cellular company Mobilink is running a big campaign with members of the Pakistan team for the World Cup with Yousuf conspicuous by his absence.   

A spokesman for the company which has a contract with the board and players said Yousuf had declined to be photographed.   

"We photographed the entire team but Mohammad Yousuf requested not to be photographed for his personal reasons," Omar Manzoor said on Tuesday.   

Yousuf, who converted to Islam from Christianity two years back, has become a staunch Muslim, growing a beard and following Islamic teachings.    

"It is a personal decision of Yousuf and we can't interfere in someone's religious beliefs," said Saleem Altaf, board director, cricket operations.   

Mobilink, Pakistan's largest cellular company, has put up big billboards and is running advertisements to support the Pakistan team's World Cup campaign.   

The World Cup has seen a boom in the Pakistan advertising industry with leading multi-national and local companies spending millions of rupees on World Cup-related campaigns on television and in the print media.   

Sarmad Ali, a former president of the Pakistan Advertisers Association, said revenues of advertising companies increased by 25 to 30 per cent because of the World Cup.   

Ali said Pakistan's advertising industry had a spread of 15 billion rupees ($247 million) per annum.