Former teammates pay tribute to hard working Younis

KARACHI: Pakistan's Inzamam-ul-Haq Thursday hailed his former team mate Younis Khan for completing 100 Tests, praising his uncompromising hard work and commitment as key to reaching the milestone.

Younis, 37, reached the landmark during the second Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka which started in Colombo on Thursday, though fell for just six as his side slid to 138 all out.

He became the fifth Pakistani cricketer to play 100 or more Tests after Javed Miandad (124), Inzamam (119), Wasim Akram (104) and Salim Malik (103).

"When someone is playing his 100th Test you don´t need to say he is great, the landmark itself defines his greatness," Inzamam told AFP. "That Younis reached this landmark is a great achievement."

Inzamam, who played alongside Younis between 2000-2007, described him as the hardest working amongst the 100-Test men.

"Miandad played 100 plus so have Wasim, Malik and I but I can say that the most hard working of all of us is Younis and that itself defines the man," said Inzamam.

"Younis was not as naturally talented as the others were but he overcame that with his sheer hard work and uncompromising commitment and his fitness is so extraordinary that he can still play for a few more years.

"I enjoyed batting with him as he would always play the ball on merit and concentrate ball to ball which is very difficult and his quality is that he is never afraid of any bowler, spin or fast," he added.

Another former teammate and captain Rashid Latif said Younis prolonged his career by quitting captaincy that was dragging on his game.

"I think he has achieved this landmark only through his commitment and the most significant thing was that he left captaincy to prolong his career," said Latif of Younis.

Younis stepped down from captaincy in 2009 after a brief stint. Of the nine Tests Younis captained, Pakistan won only one.