A lot of cricketers from different countries earned fame with their outstanding performances in international circuit and people still remember them after their retirement and even after their death.

Retirement is one of the most emotional moments for any sportsman. The best time to say good-bye is when a player has achieved the highest point of his career.

If a player announces his retirement without getting dropped he gets more respect and admiration than those who do not officially retire.

Pakistan’s middle-order batsman Younis Khan is one of them. He is the backbone of Pakistan batting, especially in Test cricket.

Since the retirement of Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Yousuf, Younis along with Misbah-ul-Haq has strengthened Pakistan’s middle-order batting.

In his long career, Younis has been involved in controversies. He was appointed vice-captain in 2005 before the tour to India and then confirmed as captain of Pakistan for the 2006-07 Champions Trophy.

But a few days later he refused to accept captaincy. Mohammad Yousuf was appointed the captain. However, the new PCB Chief Dr Naseem Ashraf re-appointed him as captain.

In April 2007, again he turned down the offer to lead Pakistan after Inzamam-ul-Haq quit following the team’s early exit from the World Cup. As a result, young Shoaib Malik was appointed the new leader.

In January 2009, he took over from Shoaib Malik. In October 2009, he again handed over his resignation to PCB. The board rejected it, but he didn’t take back his resignation and took a break from international cricket.

But with all controversies, Younis Khan’s services for Pakistan cricket are unmatched. Pakistan won the World Twenty20 in 2009 in England when he was captain.

After that, he announced his retirement from the shortest version of the game.

In Test cricket, Younis is the third highest run scorer for Pakistan with 8,814 runs. He follows Javed Miandad (8832) and Inzamam-ul-Haq (8829). However, Younis’s average of 54 is much higher than the two (Miandad 52.57 and Inzamam 49.60).

Younis, 37, has played 101 Tests, 264 ODIs and 25 T20 Internationals. He has led Pakistan in nine Tests, 21 ODIs and eight Twenty20 matches. The ever-smiling right-hander from Mardan remains permanent in the Test squad. He aims to retire on his own terms rather than be dropped by the selectors.

He recently criticised the selectors for ignoring him from the one-day squad. He showed his concerns in a TV interview.

PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan reacted to Younis’s statement and said how selectors could consider a batsman whose average was just 18.32 in 29 ODIs in last three years. He, however, said he would sit with the player to discuss the issues.

According to the statistics, the Chairman is right, but the Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi has scored 421 runs without any fifty, averaging just 19.13 in 34 T20 matches in the last three years. His best score was 46 against West Indies at Kingston way back in July 2013. He has taken 25 wickets, conceding 876 runs at an average of 35.04. In 14 Twenty20 matches he has remained wicket-less.

Pakistan won the recently-concluded Twenty20 series against Zimbabwe, but Afridi’s contribution in the two matches was four runs. Besides, he failed to take any wicket against the world’s weakest side.

If the performance is the criteria to cement place in the national side, the selectors should adopt same policy for both Younis and Afridi. The Zimbabwe series was the third ODI series in a row for which the selectors did not consider Younis.

Former Pakistan captains Wasim Akram and Rashid Latif have advised Younis Khan to focus on playing Test cricket in which he is a consistent performer and drop the idea of playing 50-overs format to prolong his career.  Former opening batsman Rmiz Raja and fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar have also advised Younis to leave the ODI space for youngsters.

"After 15 years of international cricket experience I don’t think I need to take anyone’s advice to decide what to do about my career," Younis said in response.

Critics agree with the former players and the selectors, but the way of dealing has hurt Younis.

Last month, he scored 183 runs in the national Twenty20 Cup for Abbottabad Region, averaging 45.75, at a strike rate of 157.75. This included two fifties.

But Younis should realise that he can’t play till World Cup 2019 and the selectors are trying different combinations with youngsters for the mega event.

Therefore, Younis should accept that his ODI career is over and he should say good-bye with a positive note. He will be remembered in Pakistan cricket history as a sincere, patriotic and courageous cricketer.