Younis Khan breaks Miandad’s record

LAHORE: Due to turn 38 in a month or so, Pakistan’s highest Test Cricket run-scorer Younis Khan had to deal with six personal tragedies between 2005 and 2009 as his father, an elder sister, three brothers and a nephew had died when he was not close to them and one can hardly find a single steel-nerved sportsman around the world who had to confront so many misfortunes in quick succession, and had yet managed to remain a model of professional excellence, exemplary resilience, character and perseverance.
Cricket loves might recall that in January 2005, Younis had to rush home from an Australian tour after his father Iqbal Khan had breathed his last.
The news came after he had kept wicket and taken three catches during Pakistan’s thrilling win over Australia at Perth on January 30, 2005. In this crucial match against Australia, he was included in the Pakistani squad as a wicketkeeper and a Number three batsman, replacing regular wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal.
It was also in 2005 when Younis’ eldest brother and mentor, Mohammed Sharif Khan, had died at the age of 41 in a car accident in Ukraine. Younis was on a tour to West Indies then.Disturbed and broken, the star Pakistani batsman had to book ticket on the first flight to reach his home in Mardan.
Another older brother, Farman Ali Khan, was only 39 when he had died in Germany due to a failed liver transplant on December 5, 2006.The shocking news had arrived barely minutes after Younis was dismissed for 24 in the second One Day International match against the West Indies at Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium.
In May 2011, Younis was again on a tour to West Indies when his third brother Shamshad Khan had died in Germany.And then on August 25, 2014, Younis’s nephew Saad Khan (son of his brother Saeed Khan) had perished during a liver treatment in India. He was in Sri Lanka then and had to pack up yet again with teary eyes.
Having battled against all odds, repeated bereavements and the indifferent attitude of a few top-raking Pakistan Cricket Board officials since the year 2000, he is the only third Pakistani cricketer to have scored 300 or more runs in an innings, and the only one to score a test hundred against each of the 9 test-playing nations and the 12th International player to achieve this magnificent feat.
Younis Khan became Pakistan’s all-time leading Test run-scorer, surpassing the great Javed Miandad’s tally of 8832 runs on the opening day of the first Test against England in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. Younis set the new mark when he reached 20 with a huge six off spinner Moeen Ali, crossing Miandad and Inzamam-ul-Haq´s tally in one stroke.
In an international cricketing career spanning over 15 years and eight months, Younis is one of the few global cricketers to have retained an average of 50 or more runs per innings at home grounds, away from home and at neutral venues.
Not fewer than 14 of his Test centuries have come away from home and nine have been scored at neutral venues.
Among the five Pakistani cricketers to have 100 Test matches or more and his 30 centuries are the highest number of Test centuries by any Pakistani, he has taken most catches for Pakistan in Test matches (110 catches in 101 appearances) and One Day Internationals (134 catches).
When Younis Khan had scored his 30th Test century (171 not out) against Sri Lanka in third and final Test at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in July 2015, he actually became first batsman in the Test cricket history to score five centuries in the fourth innings of a test match, surpassing the earlier record of four centuries by Messrs Sunil Gavaskar and Ricky Ponting.
With Muhammad Yousuf, the fabulous Younis Khan also holds the record of most runs as partners in Test cricket for Pakistan.And last but not least, among all the Pakistani Test cricketers since 1952, he has scored most number of centuries (6) after attaining the age of 35—-speaking volumes of his physical fitness and mental strength.