Younis Khan: A man with vocation for cricket
Although, the man scored a brilliant century on his Test debut, it took a while for the fans to get accustomed to the likes of Younis Khan. He was not welcomed in the corridors of cricket that easily by the spectators. His technique seemed ordinary, at times
even sloppy. Each delivery was tried for a boundary. He was susceptible to swing with way too many edges. And his bat was way too ahead in front of the forward defensive with bottom hand dominating in the shots.
Regardless of the introductory century, his average after 12 Test encounters revolved around 21.25. And most of the times the player was dismissed in single digits. But this did not keep him away from being included in the Pakistan team. The selectors were
adamant of his inclusion, based on his domestic circle performance which continued to be impressive. His impudence tacks, take-it-or-leave-it manner also earned him a trend setter designation.
Then the overseas tons were recorded. In http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747, Younis intimidated the fans and the selectors simultaneously. This was the time when he settled into the national team on permanent basis. The no.3 spot was pretty
much reserved for the all in-form Khan. He was promising, full of intent and dangerous. He seemed like the one who will heal the all time standing ulcers of Pakistan’s faulty batting. Nevertheless, his unpredictable form persisted. In 2005, when he first time
adventured against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750, his average was still below 40.
That series disclosed much about the player to everyone. All the fans and the player himself came to realize the situation he was in. The first innings yielded him 9 runs while the second saw him dismissed at just 1 run. The embarrassment was just over whelming.
The press came heavy on him and the management vilified him.
This brought a feeling of anger to Younis who silenced his critics in the after performances on the same tour. 147 runs in the next Test and 267 in Bangalore after that polished him to show signs of greatness in terms of solid batting. The performance outstood
the player, different from everyone, promising to lead Pakistan with a fighter role anytime.
Currently, the legendary batsman has a Test average of 50-plus with 17 centuries to his name. Aged 33, this makes him one of the startling players to still maintain such an average. Above all this, he has a reputation of being fearless. Even after bad performances,
the spirit to stage a comeback has been his nature. He continues to convince everyone of his resilient personal moral fibre. This strength was translated into reality when under his leadership; http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 brought home the T20 World Cup trophy in 2009. That was
the time when everyone, including the media went hard on him for being so casual initially. At that moment he was the one who canalized the team to bring home a gift for the terrorism-stricken nation.
Many observers are of the view that the most viable candidate currently for Pakistan's Test captaincy is Younis http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Khan-c71319. But under the circumstances that he has staged a comeback, does not allow him to exercise any adventure. His record supports his candidature
but he is at the wrong end right now. Despite the turbulence, his supporters are satisfied that their hero is sitting pretty. He has faced harsh times before and this has not dented his confidence at all. Great things happen to great players. His latest comeback
proves the resilience character that has always been his trademark. Younis may be on the wrong side of the PCB, but he is not on the wrong side of history.
Tags: