Younis Khan and his Twenty20 comeback for Pakistan, The Saga
It seems that Pakistani player Younis Khan has a lot of cricket left in him to show the world. After patching up differences with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Younis http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Khan-c71319 made a place for himself in the national team. Now he is hinting
that he might make a comeback in Twenty20 format from which he retired over a year ago.
Younis said this following the confirmation on Wednesday after a meeting with PCB chairman http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755’s national squad presently in the limited overs series against
South Africa in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mohsin-c77587 Khan whether Younis was included in the two Twenty20s against South Africa.
The former Pakistani captain said that he wanted to move away from all the troubles surrounding him and wants to rebuild and strengthen his career. He was speaking with the reporters at a training camp in Gaddafi stadium Lahore. When asked
to clarify his position in Twenty20 squad, he replied that it was up to the selectors and the board- that it is because of them he is here.
Younis further clarified that whenever his “fitness” is up to the standards of T20, Tests or 50-50, he is always available for Pakistan. He showed enthusiasm about being back in the squad and mentioned persistently that he would happily
accept the management’s decision.
The 32-year-old right handed batsman announced his retirement from Twenty20 cricket in 2009 after successfully leading Pakistan in Twenty20 World Cup in England. He gave the reason for stepping aside citing that it was time for the youngsters
to shine. However, the actual scenario was a different story altogether. It was reported that rifts were created between many senior players and the captain questioning his leadership qualities. He decided to step down from the top-job after being defeated
against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/March-c74391 2010, when he along with his team-mate Mohammad Yousuf were banned by the PCB from all forms of Pakistani
cricket on account of causing friction within the team.
Younis Khan has been playing Twenty20 matches in domestic cricket in Pakistan and even abroad. Although he announced himself as “available” and in “fantastic form”, his selection in the Twenty20 team is not guaranteed as he was always
critical of the format. His statistics are also averaging to 25 from 22 Twenty20 matches with a rather uninspiring strike rate of 124.85.
Younis was insisting on “moving on” and he did not wanted to reflect on what happened in the past. He talked about his meeting with the PCB chairman and how both of them have buried the hatchet and forgotten whatever differences they had.
There are many questions arising on the criteria of selecting Younis for the national team as he has not been playing first class cricket for months. There are questions regarding his form as he has still a long way to prove himself in
the ODIs. However, Younis defended his position in the team as he said that he has been playing county cricket and he is “mentally prepared” for the challenges ahead.
In the coming weeks, all these questions would be answered and it would be interesting to see whether Younis is able to make a comeback in the Twenty20 cricket. Pakistan plays two Tests, five One-Days and two Twenty20 against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757
at a neutral venue in U.A.E.
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