Mohammad Yousuf's decision to rejoin the Indian Cricket League looks to have cost him his international career after a Pakistan Cricket Board official confirmed he has been banned by the nation's governing body.

The 34-year-old batsman admitted that his decision to join the Lahore Badshahs could cost him his Pakistan place - a fact that was confirmed by PCB director of cricket operations, Zakir Khan, just hours later.

"He is banned from playing in or for Pakistan with immediate effect," Zakir said. "We have also terminated his central contract."

The PCB's penalty was expected given their policy to ban ICL contracted players from playing in their national or domestic competitions.

Already they have banned high-profile names such as former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, Imran Farhat, Azhar Mahmood and Abdul Razzaq after they signed for the league.

"Like all the other cricket (national) boards we have a firm policy toward ICL," Zakir said. "We have tried to stop all our players from competing in the controversial Indian Cricket League."

The PCB's sanction ends speculation surrounding Yousuf's Pakistan future after reports surfaced earlier this week that he was set to sign with the ICL.

The PCB were, however, unable to get in contact with the player to discuss the matter after he left Lahore just hours after being named in the 15-man squad to play West Indies in a three-match one-day international series later this month.

Zakir revealed earlier in the week they had only been tipped off about Yousuf's intention to join the ICL by the player's wife, who told them he was in New Delhi.

"The Yousuf situation is something that we have been looking at for the past few days," Zakir told Sky Sports News. "He disappeared from Lahore without any leaving any information. We were kept in the dark about the whole situation."