British media salutes Lord’s double-centurion Yousuf

should have bought the papers,
or is it mondays papers?

By our correspondent

LONDON: The British press on Sunday paid glowing tributes to Mohammad Yousuf for his potentially match-saving knock on the third and fourth days of the first Pakistan-England Test here at Lord’s.

‘Yousuf has England’s attack on its knees’ cried a Sunday Express headline commenting on the Pakistani batsman’s unbeaten 185 that took the tourists from 66-3 to 409-7 in reply to England’s first innings total of 528-9 declared.

While most of the reports reflected the English frustration at the fact that Yousuf has become a regular pain for them, they also conceded that it was one classic knock.

One of the newspapers wrote that never had a bearded batsman played with such elegance at Lord’s since English legend WG Grace.

‘Yousuf hands tourists a prayer’, read a Sunday Mirror headline and the paper’s match report had a series of references of how converting to Islam has brought a vast improvement in Yousuf’s performance.

The Daily Star headline read: Oh No, Not You Again and the catch line added, Mohammad torments Strauss.

Yousuf’s masterful display in which he made the English bowlers look mediocre lead one newspaper to scream ‘We need Freddie’, referring to England captain Andrew Flintoff who did not play the Lord’s Test because of a recurring ankle injury.

The Independent on Sunday’s headline was a bit less dramatic but aptly described Yousuf’s effort as a blend of silk and steel that blunted England.

Yousuf went on to make 202, his fourth Test double century and second against England on Sunday as Pakistan ended their innings at 445.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=15931

Link please?

Well it was a very special knock that deserves all the praise that it is getting!

I hope Yousuf keeps this form up, and that this is not just a once in a blue moon innings. He is a class batsmen who is capable of scoring runs against any opposition. Always had the talent, just needed the temperment and mental toughness to establish himself as an all-time pak great.

Anyone who says that he has to many short comings; such as his very high backlift. Which supposedly makes him suspect to very fast inswinging yorkers- (I don't know many batsmen who wouldn't be troubled by those types of deliveries anyway!)- should know better. The greatest batsmen of this generation (arguably); Brian Lara has an even higher backlift then Moyo and correct me if I'm wrong, he's the highest test run scorer of all time!

My point is that you don't have to be technically perfect to be a great batsmen. Sanjay Manjrekar was one of the most copy book batsmen ever, but was not a great bat. A more recent example being Sehwag; the guy's feet are static! Yet he has scored all over the place against everyone.

As the great Imran said, cricket is a game played 90% in the mind. If yousuf is mentally tough enough, he def. has the talent to make these next 5 years of his career really count!

In his last 2 innings against England Moyo has scored 425 runs! hahahahaha!

added link bottom of article

Well done Yoyo, I still call you that

no probs with that - he is after all mohammad YOusuf YOuhana

interesting - he is only person i have seen that isnt YUsuf (estes for example)

very gracious of the English media. there are some fine journalists in Englang among the less than mediocre ones.

finally the man gets some credit its really due

about time english media praises his efforts and notices our team

that is funny