“If you look back at the period right after the 2003 World Cup, you will see that several players including Saeed Anwar, Wasim Akram, Ijaz Ahmed and Saqlain Mushtaq were discarded from the team. Wasim didn’t even actually retire, he was in England when he got the news [of his ouster],” pakpassion.net quoted Younus as saying.
Younus, banned by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) following the Australia tour debacle earlier this year, made it clear that he wanted to contribute more to Pakistan cricket. “Allah knows best and as long as Allah wants, I will play for Pakistan,” the down-to-earth player asserted.
During the last five years, Younus matured into a brilliant cricketer and became a powerful force in Pakistan cricket. His efforts culminated to him leading Pakistan to victory in the World Twenty20 in England last year.
“After winning the [Twenty20] World Cup for Pakistan, I don’t know how much higher I can go,” said Younus, content with his decision to retire from Twenty20 cricket. “That is when I decided that I want to retire from cricket when I am at my peak.”
And what an illustrious career it has been too: 63 Test caps for his country; an impressive career batting average of 50.09; 16 centuries, 21 fifties, and to top it all, a Test top score of 313 in a match-saving effort.
However, Younus is adamant that the buck of the Pakistani batting line-up does not end with the Younus and Mohammad Yousuf pair.
“A lot of people say that after Younus and Yousuf there isn’t much depth in our domestic cricket — I disagree. There are several players out there who can take up the mantle after us,” Younus stated.
In his opinion, however, the presence of senior, experienced players in the team is crucial for the benefit of youngsters such as Ahmed Shahzad, whom Younus classified as a “very good, promising youngster.”
Younus and Yousuf both agree that in the final years of their careers, what matters most is that they are available to support the younger generation, ensuring that the depth of talent, class and skill is maintained long after their departure.
In a message to his fans and the media, Younus remarked that it is very easy to misunderstand players’ attitudes as they are constantly being scrutinised and the smallest actions are blown out of proportion.
“When I was playing for the U-19s, some people felt I was proud although the fact that after 10 years of cricket I’m sitting here in front of you should prove to you that I’m not.
“I just wanted to do my best with the bat. I had very little interactions with the media and didn’t want to get involved with the publicity of it all,” Younus expressed.
On Pakistan’s chances in the forthcoming World Twenty20, Younus hoped the team would successfully defend the title.
“If you look at the squad that won the World Twenty20 last year and the current squad, only a handful of players [from the 2009 contest] are missing. “Most of the names are the same, so we have a good chance of defending the title.”—Agencies
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