Younis silences critics in historic Pakistan win

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  • Younis Khan and Shan Mahmood put on a 242-run stand for Pakistan.

    A chorus of Pakistan fans and former players were calling for Younis Khan’s exclusion before the start of deciding Test against Sri Lanka with the general consensus being that the veteran batsman had passed his peak.

    Little did they know that they were bashing a player who was courageous enough to play Test cricket despite observing the fast for Ramadan.

    Younis was without food but his hunger for runs was clearly still evident and he just needed some time out in the middle to get back into the groove.

    Pakistan finally conquered Sri Lanka after a decade of failed attempts, with their last win against their Asian neighbours coming in the 2005-06 Test series.

    Sri Lanka took a first innings lead despite promising half-centuries from Azhar Ali and Sarfaraz Ahmed and a five-wicket haul from Yasir with the ball.

    They picked up the rate of scoring in the second innings and looked set to post a significant score until Imran Khan emerged as Pakistan’s unlikely hero with five wickets to limit Sri Lanka to a daunting enough 377.

    Pakistan’s chase got off to the worst possible start with Azhar and Ahmed Shahzad falling cheaply to reduce the tourists to 13/2.

    Shan Mahood ably supported Younis Khan to rescue Pakistan.

    The men to resurrect Pakistan’s fortunes were Shan Mahmood, who was fighting to retain his place in absence of Mohammad Hafeez, and the under-fire Younis.

    The pair showed impressive chemistry with Shan rotating the scoreboard when Younis struggled early on and Younis guiding the youngster when Shan lost momentum.

    The duo went put on a record 242-run stand to help Pakistan chase down their highest-ever target with both men scoring centuries.

    For Shan it was his maiden ton, while for Younis it was his 30th, taking him past Sir Don Bradman’s figure of 29. Younis also closed in on Javed Miandad’s record for Pakistan’s highest run-scorer on 8,832.

    Former Pakistani captain Rashid Latif said that Younis’ knock was one of the most formidable he had ever seen, but not the best.

    “Younis’ unbeaten 171 will go down as the one of the best knocks in Pakistan cricket history. I rate Azhar Mehmood’s century in Durban as the best while Inzamam-ul-Haq once saved Pakistan from humiliation with a timely ton in Multan against Bangladesh,” Latif said to Sport360.

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    “I’m not taking away the credit from Younis because he is a champion and probably one the greats of Pakistan cricket for all that he has achieved.”

     The former captain praised the spirit of Younis to play Test matches while fasting and called for an end to his endless criticism in the media.

    “People don’t realise how difficult it is to play at the highest level while fasting and Younis has been giving 100 percent for Pakistan despite having to fast. This is something which is unbelievable and needs to be appreciated,” Latif added.

    “He put Shan into the comfort zone and Younis’ presence was a calming effect for him. Shan showed good temperament under pressure for his maiden century and deserves praise. But I would say that the half-century from Sarfaraz in the first-innings and five-for from Imran kept Pakistan in the game.”

    While Latif praised Younis and company, he lamented Sri Lankan Angelo Mathews for being ultra defensive and believes it was his tactics which cost Sri Lanka the match.

    Last year, Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by chasing down a target of over 300 in just two sessions and back then it was Mathews’ defensive tendencies that proved Sri Lanka’s undoing again.

    Sri Lanka have only lost twice while defending a target of over 300 and both time Mathews has been the skipper.

    “I must say Mathews was pathetic as a captain as he setup negative field which allowed the Pakistani batsmen to settle. Once there was a 50-run partnership, Mathews put the fielders in deep and allowed easy singles which took pressure off Shan and Younis. He may be a top batsman but he is a very poor captain and Sri Lanka must look for some other leadership,” Latif added.

    Meanwhile, former Pakistan selector Shoaib Mohammad has lambasted the country’s cricket media for not giving Younis his due credit for keeping Test cricket alive in the country.

    “It is because of players like Younis and Misbah that people are remotely interested in Test cricket in this country. I feel for Younis as he has to battle constant criticism despite always proving his worth,” Mohammad said.

    “We hardly have any role models left and by getting rid of Younis, we’ll lose one of the rare remaining players from whom the next generation could learn. Pakistan won because the two centurions had a desire to prove their doubters wrong. For Shan it was about stamping his authority in international cricket while for Younis is was about sending a reminder.”

    Shoaib also had a word of praise for Sarfaraz Ahmed, Azhar Ali and Man of the Series Yasir Shah.

    In his opinion it was Yasir who provided a breath of fresh air to the side, which inspired the team to battle hard.

    “The fighting attitude was certainly brought about by Yasir and Sarfaraz as they showed courage against a good Sri Lankan side. It’s always good to have fighters in the side while Azhar was a constant threat for Pakistan aside from his last innings,” Shoaib explained.

    Chief selector Haroon Rasheed labelled Younis a “great” and said that the whole of Pakistan was proud of him for what he has achieved with the bat.

    Rasheed believes that the ‘A’ tour to Sri Lanka has paid dividends as Shan’s confidence at the crease has significantly improved.

    “Shan was one of the players who played against Sri Lanka A recently and subsequently he was better prepared for the conditions. Similarly, Imran Khan was able to practice against similar bowling to what he would face in the senior Test. So I believe A tours are always beneficial and we must continue with this programme,” Haroon said.

    PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan heaped more praise on the side for winning an away series 2-1, adding: “I congratulate the team on this superb Test series victory. Winning an away series is never easy, and it is Pakistan’s first in Sri Lanka since 2006. In that context, this is all the more commendable.

    “There were many standout performances through the series, Yasir Shah’s leg-spin bowling in all three Tests, Asad Shafiq and Azhar Ali’s centuries in first and second Test respectively. Younis Khan and Shan Masood’s 242-run stand for the third wicket shall remain etched in memory for years to come.”

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