Younus Khan double ton conjures 'cornered tiger' spirit, says Saj Sadiq
Saturday 20 August 2016 19:37, UK
'Cometh the hour, cometh the man'. Younus Khan conjures 'cornered tiger' spirit with double ton in final Test of draw series with England, says Sajid Sadiq...
To most neutral observers, a Pakistan team visiting England with a batting line-up notorious for its frailties against quality pace bowling, is nothing short of a disaster in the making.
Therefore, an honourable loss was considered to be the best Pakistan could hope for from the recently concluded Test series against England - proving younger players with the experience of playing in unfamiliar conditions, the stated goal.
Pakistan, however, startled all and sundry with a surprising 75-run victory in the opening Test at Lord's. Though true to the dire pre-series predictions by many, Pakistan were upstaged in back-to-back defeats in the second and third Tests.
The initiative was wrested away from the visitors by a resurgent England and the final Test was to be a mere formality according to some.
The batting line-up for the hapless tourists hung by a thread with ageing stalwarts, captain Misbah-ul-Haq and Younus Khan, a combined 80 years old. Misbah had put in some decent performances earlier in the series - including a century at Lord's - but Younus' lacklustre performances were a matter of real concern for Pakistan.
On the eve of the fourth Test at The Oval, the predictions were dire on Younus' chances of improving his dismal record in the series and conventional wisdom dared Pakistan to take a better option than what many described as an 'ageing has been'.
Despite such warnings, Misbah chose to continue with Younus due to his time-tested ability to produce world-class performances in difficult circumstances, just when the team need them most.
The cliché 'cometh the hour, cometh the man' never rung truer. With Pakistan in danger of wilting under pressure and handing the advantage to the hosts early on day two, Younus strode to the crease and defied England's bowlers for 308 deliveries; a marathon innings which lasted close to seven and a half hours before finally falling for a majestic 218.
The knock all but secured the game for Pakistan and gave real hope to his side's push for a victory which would square the series.
Pakistan duly won the fourth Test and Younus' redemption in the face of cynical criticism was complete.
Form is temporary, class is permanent. Younus, for years, has been a great example of this concept. He has faced critics at every stage of his career who have looked to knock him down. But he has continued to prove his detractors wrong throughout his 16-year Test career.
It is no secret that opposition teams around the world consider his wicket key to their success against Pakistan. With more than 9,400 runs in 108 Test matches played for his country, Younus is the very embodiment of the 'cornered tiger' spirit espoused by a Pakistani great of yesteryear, Imran Khan.
Perversely, the inner-strength that has been the driving force for Younus throughout his career, has also been an irritant for many around him. His run-ins with the Pakistan Cricket Board have been many in number, but the respect for Younus' skills and his devotion to the cause has always allowed for sense to prevail.
In normal circumstances, Younus, at the age of 38, perhaps would have been looking forward to a peaceful retirement. But the Pakistan domestic system has notoriously failed to consistently provide a steady stream of capable batsmen to replace him.
Younus' value to the team, and indeed to the world of cricket, is infinite. It is players like Younus who inspire many others to watch and play cricket, while the admiration for his style of play and personality is universal and transcends borders.
Whilst we may not see another innings of the kind we saw at The Oval from Younus, we can be assured that cricket will be all the more richer whenever he walks to the crease and takes guard again.
So what can the world of cricket expect from Younis in the future? He already holds the record for most Test runs by a Pakistan batsman and with scheduled Test series against West Indies, New Zealand and Australia next on the radar for Pakistan, there is a firm likelihood that Younus will be able to finish his career amongst the top Test run-scorers and surpass his target of 10,000 runs.
Misbah-ul-Haq made some insightful comments after The Oval Test match, none more important and relevant than, "Younus is a champion batsman and an all-time great. There was pressure on him but that's when champions stand up."
It sums up nicely what Younus has been for Pakistan cricket and it is how many will remember him when he finally retires and spends his days doing what he loves, fishing.
