Younis Khan: The legend leads

October 18, 2015

Younis Khan rewrote the history of Pakistan cricket, surpassing Javed Miandad’s record of 8832 runs in Test Cricket to become Pakistan’s leading run-scorer in the longest format of the game

Younis Khan: The legend leads

"Moeen Ali to Younis Khan, Younis leaps out and hammers the ball over deep mid wicket…. SIX"! This is how Younis Khan rewrote the history of Pakistan cricket, surpassing Javed Miandad’s record of 8832 runs in Test Cricket to become Pakistan’s leading run-scorer in the longest format of the game. The record of Javed Miandad had stood for more than two decades.

Younis achieved this landmark in his 102nd Test, but this isn’t his only record. He has many other records to his name. Something which easily makes him the most successful batsman in history of Pakistan cricket.

The ever-smiling guy from Mardan has scored 30 centuries, which is most by any Pakistani batsman. Inzamam-ul-Haq with 25 Test centuries is a distant second.

Of his 30 Test centuries, one was transformed into a triple hundred - 313 against Sri Lanka in Karachi - making him only the third Pakistani batsman to score a triple ton in Test Cricket after Hanif Mohammad (337) and Inzamam (329).

Five times he has converted his centuries into double-hundreds. The only Pakistani to have scored more double centuries than him is Miandad who has six 200-plus scores to his credit.

He also tops the list of Pakistanis with most numbers of 150-plus scores in Test Cricket with 11 such knocks. Next to him is Miandad with ten knocks of 150 or more.

Five of his centuries were scored in the 4th innings of the match, which is most by any cricketer in the history of Test cricket. The second on this list is India’s Sunil Gavaskar who scored four centuries in the last innings of the match.

Younis’s batting average while batting in 4th innings of the match is 60.59, which is the highest among the players who have played at least 20 innings.

Younis owns one of the best average of converting fifties into triple figures. Of total 59 scores of 50+, 30 were converted into 100s by the Man from Mardan. His conversion rate of 50.85 is the 2nd best after Michael Clarke who has a conversion rate of 50.91, only slightly better than Younis among the batsmen who have at least 50 scores of 50 or more.

Younis is also termed a man-of-crisis for Pakistan cricket, and pundits have enough reasons to call him that. He remained involved in 61 century partnerships for Pakistan in Test cricket. The second to him in list of players with most century partnerships is Miandad who was involved in 50 partnerships of 100 or more runs.

Younis has spent more than 23,440 minutes on wicket so far, which is only 128 minutes less than the time Miandad spent on wicket during his career of 124 Tests. Younis seems certain to surpass this record of Miandad’s to become the leader in the list of Pakistani players standing in the middle for long.

His batting average of 53.97 is also the highest by any Pakistani who has batted at least 20 innings. Of top 15 runs scorer in Test cricket, only Jacques Kallis of South Africa (55.37) and Kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka (57.40) have better batting average.

Younis, who will turn 38 on 29th November, averages 61.81 since he celebrated his 35th birthday, which is highest by any player who has played at least 20 Tests after turning 35. Other Pakistani players who have played 20 Tests after turning 35, averaging over 50, include Inzamam-ul-Haq (52.29 in 23 Tests) and Zaheer Abbas (52.28 in 32 Tests).

His safe hands have also grabbed 110 catches in Test cricket, the highest by a Pakistani (non-wicket-keeper). Miandad is second to him, with 94 catches.

Younis has won nine man-of-the match and four man-of-the-series awards in his career. Only two Pakistanis, Wasim Akram (17) and Imran Khan (11), have more man-of-the match awards than him. Only Imran Khan (8), Wasim Akram (7) and Waqar Younis (5) have won more man-of-the-series awards than Younis.

With these numerous records to his credit, Younis will always be honoured as one of the best batsmen produced by Pakistan. He may not be active on social media like his teammates, he may not be a media-darling like some of his colleagues, but these numbers will always be his advocate.

Younis will always be saying, "I am just an ordinary cricketer", but the fact is that Younis is beyond extraordinary. If Zaheer was termed Asian Bradman then Younis has achieved enough to be termed as Asian Jack Hobbs or Brian Lara of this era. With 8852 runs and going, Younis Khan will always be remembered as a legend.

(All the records mentioned in this article were noted before the 2nd innings in Abu Dhabi)

Younis Khan: The legend leads