Pakistan Cricket: Younis Khan declares availability for all formats as Waqar Younis welcomes his return
A day after making a return to the national team, former Test captain Younis Khan has declared that he is available for all formats of the game.
The right-handed batsman, who is one of the leading Test players in the modern game, finally ended his long stalemate with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) who had barred him from playing international cricket after the controversy-prone
tour of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 earlier in the year.
He addressed members of the media after a training session on the last day of the camp that has been set up at the Qaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
After conveying his desire of making runs for Pakistan upon his return to international cricket, Younis added that he was available for all formats. "I am not that sort of a player who says I should be in
Test matches or I should be in one-dayers or in Twenty20s," Younis said. "If my fitness is up there and Pakistan needs me, whether it's T20, T10, 50-50 or Tests, I am always available for Pakistan."
Younis led Pakistan to a memorable World Twenty20 triumph in England in 2009, but retired at the end of the tournament.
However, he made regular appearances in domestic T20 competitions besides playing for various leagues and clubs across the world.
He vowed to brush aside the memories of the recent past and claimed that he was keen on making an immediate impression in the series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757.
"I talked to the chairman yesterday and we forgot whatever happened in the past. I didn't want to end my cricket like that. If I say sorry it's not a big deal. I can't fight with the chairman; I can't fight
with the board, as whatever I am is because of them. As far as discipline is concerned I have never been fined and everyone knows me well.
"I played a county season for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Surrey-c851, I played T20s and if a player has eight or nine year’s experience, he often just needs one click," said Younis. "If luck favours me and I play one good innings everything
will be back on track. When I was recalled for Australia, I went there after playing just one domestic match, at least now I have played county cricket, so I am prepared mentally."
The inclusion of Younis is set to add much needed experience and class in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755’s middle-order that has lacked spine in recent months.
His absence was sorely felt in England as the Pakistanis crashed to a 3-1 series defeat in the Test matches. They were dismissed for under 100 runs in as many as three times in the four Tests.
On two other occasions, they were rolled over under 180 and failed to cross 400 even once in six Tests, including the two against Australia.
Younis averages more than 50 runs per innings in Test cricket - the right-hander scored two hundreds during South Africa’s two-match Test tour of Pakistan in 2007 - and understandably holds the key once the
battle in the longest format of the game gets underway on the 14th of November.
However, his immediate task in the limited over series, and only a solid performance there is going to pave his way in the two-match Test series.
The head coach of the team, Waqar Younis, has welcomed Younis' return. "It's very good that Younis Khan is back. He's been a great servant for the last 12-14 years, he has served Pakistan as a captain, as
a player, as a senior member he has done wonders. He is a seasoned player, he is still fit, fitter than most of them actually, and always gives 100%."
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