Younis Khan "I want to go out when I am at my Peak"(Video included)

[sehsan]

Celebrating the tenth anniversary of his début for Pakistan a little over a month ago, Younis Khan recently sat down with PakPassion.net to look back at his decade long career. And what an illustrious career it has been too! 63 Test caps for his country; an impressive career batting average of 50.09; 16 centuries, 21 fifties, and to top it all off, a Test top score of 313 in a match-saving effort. Such a momentous feat can only be achieved through a unique mixture of hard work, perseverance, level headedness and most importantly, sheer talent.

Time to retire?
Currently facing an indefinite ban handed to him by the PCB after the recent debacle of the Australian tour, Younis talked about how he would like to see himself make a final exit from the world of international cricket. “If you look back at the period right after the 2003 World Cup, you will see that a handful of players including Saeed Anwar, Wasim Akram, Ijaz Ahmed and Saqlain Mushtaq were discarded from the team. Wasim Akram didn’t even actually retire; he was in England when he got the news (of his ouster). That is when I decided that I want to retire from cricket when I am at my peak.” Over the course of the next five years, Younis Khan matured into a brilliant cricketer and became a powerful force in Pakistan Cricket. His efforts culminated to him leading Pakistan to victory in the most recent T20 World Cup in England. “After winning the World Cup for Pakistan, I don’t know how much higher I can go,” said Younis, content with his decision to retire from T20s.

Personal reasons also contributed to Younis’ decision as “it takes a toll on the family and you eventually don’t have much time for them.” He has since focused on his test and ODI career despite the difficult times faced by Pakistan Cricket.

Future of Pakistan Batting
Younis Khan is adamant that the buck of the Pakistani batting line up does not end with the Younis and Yousuf pair. “A lot of people say that after Younis and Yousuf there isn’t much depth in our domestic cricket – I disagree. There are several players out there who can take up the mantle after us,” was Younis’ optimistic and confident prediction.

In his opinion however, the presence of senior, experienced players in the team is absolutely crucial for the benefit of younger members such as Ahmed Shehzad, whom he classified as a “very good, promising youngster.” Younis and Yousuf both agree that in the final years of their careers, what matters most is that they are available to support the younger generation, ensuring that the depth of talent, class and skill is maintained long after their departure. He is particularly impressed by other senior players in the international arena such as Sachin Tendulkar, whom he termed instrumental in helping younger players in the Indian team up their game.

The “One Down” Conundrum
Taking a step back from recent events and talk about the future, Younis described his journey through this last decade as one of risk taking and grasped opportunities. During the first half of his career, Younis Khan failed to reach the kind of potential that fans around the world have now come to expect from him on a regular basis. Coming in at various lower order positions in ODIs, he would “often have only 3 or 4 deliveries to settle in before having to hit out” and accelerate the run rate during the last few overs of the batting innings.

As a result, he was unable to build substantial scores or partnerships with other players as he never really had the opportunity to build an innings on his own. Unfortunately, this created a false image of Younis Khan the batsman. A lack of runs and successful partnerships prevented the board, coaches and captains from entrusting him with higher order responsibilities in both tests and ODIs.

In 2005 however, everything changed. Late Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer offered Younis the chance to turn over a new leaf by batting one down for Pakistan in test matches, sighting a dearth of players willing to take the challenge in that format. “Bob said that the no.3 slot would be a make or break position for my career. I would either be relegated if I didn’t seize the opportunity, or I would become a star through the sheer number of runs the position offers. I figured it might as well be worth a try,” recalled Younis. Justifying the faith Woolmer had in him, Younis scored a memorable 267 against India in Bangalore which helped level the test series for Pakistan.

He hasn’t looked back since; from 2005 to 2009, Younis Khan averaged 59.66 with the bat in test matches and upped his ODI average to 35.29, all the while maintaining captaincy of the team in all three formats.

The 2010 World Cup
Looking ahead to the upcoming T20 World Cup in the West Indies, Younis has faith that Team Pakistan will come good yet again and retain the trophy. “If you look at the squad that won the cup last year and the current squad, only a handful of players are missing. Most of the names are the same so we should have a good chance at defending the title,” predicted Younis. He noted that “Umar Akmal will be able to replace him as the anchor of the batting and although Malik will be missed due to the recent ban imposed on him; Fawad Alam should make up for it sufficiently.” He was all praise for Mohammad Asif as well, the lanky fast bowler from Sheikhupura. His presence in an already star studded bowling attack will further strength the bowling along with Umar Gul who has performed exceptionally well in the last 2 World Cups.

The Media
In a subtle message to his fans and the media, Younis remarked that it is very easy to misunderstand players’ attitudes as they are constantly being scrutinized and the smallest actions are blown out of proportion. “When I was playing for the U19s, some people felt I was proud although the fact that after 10 years of cricket I’m sitting here in front of you should prove to you that I’m not. I just wanted to do my best with the bat. I had very little interactions with the media and didn’t want to get involved with the publicity of it all.”

Similarly, he thinks some of the younger players are classified into the same category simply because they prefer not to get involved in the media’s affairs. He hopes that people will come and have “casual and frank conversations” in his home to get to understand who he really is.

The Captaincy
In a final question about whether he would take the captaincy if offered again by the PCB and whether he would be a part of the squad over the next 2-3 years, Younis responded with his trade mark laughter. "The answer to that is something I like to keep to myself", was the smiling response. After the laughter subsided, Younis made it clear that he wanted to contribute more to Pakistan cricket. "Allah knows best and as long as Allah wants, I will play for Pakistan," the words of a truly humble and down to earth person. With the future of his ‘indefinite’ ban uncertain not only amongst the fan and media circles, but within the PCB itself, we may well see Younis Khan in Pakistan colors once again doing what he does best.

PakPassion.net wishes Younis Khan success, in all his future endeavours, and hopes that he gets to see an end to his career in the fashion he wants and deserves – on a high note.

If you want to watch the video, here is the link

[sehsan]

A true gentleman, it was pleasure to meet Younis Khan. I want to thank Younis for giving us time to do this interview.

A special thanks to taha for writing this article.

[sweetkiran]

Well every player wish this, but not i think Younis khan time is gone

[pakcricketfan]

Brilliant stuff!! Thanks sehsan and taha.
All the very best to Younus Khan. I'm sure he will be back in the team for the England tour.

In a subtle message to his fans and the media, Younis remarked that it is very easy to misunderstand players’ attitudes as they are constantly being scrutinized and the smallest actions are blown out of proportion

This.

[Amjid Javed]

No mention of his fishing Career?

[AZ]

more than YK, I was impressed with sehsan in that video...very well-informed mate we have here

[sehsan]

Originally Posted by Amjid Javed No mention of his fishing Career?

I dont know how i forgot that, once i was done talking to him then muje yad aiya about fishing.

[Paradox]

Lovely interview. I really want to see him and Yousuf in the Test side, but they shouldn't be playing ODIs - we can look ahead.

[Jedi Knight]

Great Interview... Superb video!!!


Well Done!!!

[Paradox]

p.s., Younis is looking good in the video

[insaaniyat]

Originally Posted by sehsan A true gentleman, it was pleasure to meet Younis Khan. I want to thank Younis for giving us time to do this interview. A special thanks to taha for writing this article.

? Ask the fan who was dragged off the field by YK. He is an excellent test player. A true gentleman he is not.

[sharaf katawazi]

Originally Posted by insaaniyat ? Ask the fan who was dragged off the field by YK. He is an excellent test player. A true gentleman he is not.

may be he is not true gentlemen for you.but we his fans will keep him always in heart.he is the true gentlemen i ever seen.
as you always mention that fan draging story.that was an accident.and for god sake leave that story.dont be women.be a man.look forward not back ward.it will be good for ur life and future.

[Boi]

Originally Posted by insaaniyat ? Ask the fan who was dragged off the field by YK. He is an excellent test player. A true gentleman he is not.

Mate, he is talking from his own experience. That is the impression he got when he met Younis Khan. What part of that will you not understand?

[saj001]

Originally Posted by insaaniyat ? Ask the fan who was dragged off the field by YK. He is an excellent test player. A true gentleman he is not.

insaaniyat tumhari yk kai sath obsession achi nahi..

[sehsan]

Originally Posted by Ahmed Zulfiqar more than YK, I was impressed with sehsan in that video...very well-informed mate we have here

LOL, thanks

[Sledger]

Good interview and a nice write up too.
I also liked the video, adds a lot more than just audio, though I know its not always possible.

[Umta]

He seems to be in good spirits, nice for him to say that there is plenty of talent in Pakistan

[Paradox]

Originally Posted by insaaniyat ? Ask the fan who was dragged off the field by YK. He is an excellent test player. A true gentleman he is not.

.. what is wrong with you? Have you met him for yourself? Has he violated you in the past?

[Down2Earth]

hopefully he won't retire just yet, we need him and he's the only "senior" batsman that plays for his country. unfairly treated!

[Prince of Pakistan]

Great interview ! Lucky you, he is a great person.

On the last question about Afridi, he seemed surprised LOL. He was like aur koi option he nahe. No other choice

[pakmania]

Sehsan looks are impressive ! Brilliant jacket too,Hollywood maybe ?

And the interview was excellent,quite informal too and YK was very open

[cricketpassion]

Good Interview Thanks Sahsan.

[mon858]

with MOYO retired, i'm 99.99% sure YK will be back for england tour. his interview shows a lot of optimism.

[sharaf katawazi]

thansk sahsan

[Mr S Khan]

YK is a great individual and fantastic human being..we love and wish to see you soon in the cricket field..I think Pak needs him and Yousaf..

[Mr S Khan]

Hope that one day you will cricket in Pakhtunkhwa (The great)...

[fahimszd]

Gr8 interview, hope we will see him back in the team soon, and also I am hoping to see more video interviews like these in future

[Saj]

A few thank you messages from me.

First and foremost to Sabeeh for an excellent interview. Sabeeh there seemed to be a great connection between you and Younus? You did a great job.

Also a big thank you to Younus Khan who promised us that he would speak to PP and he was true to his word.

I'd also like to thank Basit Ali for his help in arranging this interview, and to the guys like dblock and taha who did a fantastic job with the video and the writeup.

[iHammad]

Thanks for this PP mods

Great interview with

[taaveez]

Originally Posted by sehsan YK: "That is when I decided that I want to retire from cricket when I am at my peak.”

I seriously hope we are yet to see YK's peak, but I also hope he stays on after his peak and helps develop other talent. We all saw what would happen in our team after peak players left at peak (hint: 1992).

[Genghis]

Great stuff Sabeeh, Taha and dblock. I think we see the real Younis in this interiew. Down to earth and a great sense of humour!

[Muzy]

great interview!!! thanks to you all.....

aww its so good to hear younis is ok from his usual smiling and laughter, i miss him in the side inshallah i hope he returns to pakistan team he hasnt been handled well, but he sounds very set on his goal and im sure alot of his fans are still proud of his performances!!! great interview once again!!!

[CricnPak]

Wonderful interview. Just a quick question, was this taken before the ban or after?

[Zechariah]

Fabulous interview! One of the best ones we have done. Good work guys!

[tauseefm]

Originally Posted by insaaniyat ? Ask the fan who was dragged off the field by YK. He is an excellent test player. A true gentleman he is not.

Inshaaniyat bhai ek sawal puhoon? Yeh dhowan sa kahan se uthta hay?

[sharaf katawazi]

younas khan will do great for pakistan in future

[Ryankhan]

great interview and thanks for the video aswell. really appreciated. Younis is my fav player and i wish to see him return soon and lead the side once again. Now i understand why he has so less centuries in odis cuz till 2005 he was playing at no.6 or 7 where u hardly get chance to bat for more overs and after 2005 till now his avg says it all. seriously a class player and i just cant wait to see him back in action. Inshallah lets hope for the best and
lets hope YOUNIS n YOUSUF makes a strong comeback in test arena this year in the summer.

[Saj]

One things for sure. Younus certainly likes to talk.

Great to see him smiling again, and lets hope he's back on the cricket field wearing the green cap again soon.

[sehsan]

Originally Posted by CricnPak Wonderful interview. Just a quick question, was this taken before the ban or after?

After the ban. It was taken on 3/27/10

Thanks a lot for the appreciation guys. This interview wouldnt have been possible without Basit ali help and offcourse for Younis to give us time.

[IM NOT YOU]

in response to the thread title, i think younus khan shouldve thought about this before he reached his peak.

our approach to batting is much more positive without him, and youngsters arent pressured as much as they were with his presence. he praises fawad alam so much yet always gave him such a hard time on the field. if you ask fawad alam in person off the record what he thinks of younus khan he'd laugh

none the less, a thorough, and well done interview.

[pakcricketfan]

Originally Posted by Saj One things for sure. Younus certainly likes to talk. Great to see him smiling again, and lets hope he's back on the cricket field wearing the green cap again soon.

InshAllah.

[pakcricketfan]

Originally Posted by IM NOT YOU in response to the thread title, i think younus khan shouldve thought about this before he reached his peak. our approach to batting is much more positive without him, and youngsters arent pressured as much as they were with his presence. he praises fawad alam so much yet always gave him such a hard time on the field. if you ask fawad alam in person off the record what he thinks of younus khan he'd laugh none the less, a thorough, and well done interview.

Well, I think if you ask Fawad Alam about YK, he'll have some good words to say about the ex captain.

[adarsh_bang]

brilliant work guys , i really hope yk gets back and silences his critics with the bat and retires with style and grace ,just what he deserves

[sharaf katawazi]

inshalah he will come back in style

[Saqs]

For someone who's so 'humble' - he does speak a lot about his own stats and averages.

Nonetheless, a very good interview.

[Black Zero]

Originally Posted by saqibsalman For someone who's so 'humble' - he does speak a lot about his own stats and averages. Nonetheless, a very good interview.

Thats what I noticed.
Anyway, he looked fresh (and not tensed).

[tahaqureshi]

Originally Posted by saqibsalman For someone who's so 'humble' - he does speak a lot about his own stats and averages. Nonetheless, a very good interview.

Well considering the interview was supposed to be about himself and not some other cricketer, I don't see much wrong with that.

And again, let's not distort the meaning of humility. Just because you're humble doesn't mean you don't have the right to be proud of you own achievements or answer the questions the interviewer is asking thoroughly. If the reality is that YK has had a great average because of Woolmer, then that is the case forthright. It is not an advertisement of himself.

[insaaniyat]

Originally Posted by saqibsalman For someone who's so 'humble' - he does speak a lot about his own stats and averages. Nonetheless, a very good interview.

That says it all

[Saj]

Originally Posted by saqibsalman For someone who's so 'humble' - he does speak a lot about his own stats and averages. Nonetheless, a very good interview.

It always amazes me just how stats focussed a lot of cricketers are and how closely they look at their domestic and international stats.

I remember when Yasir Arafat came round to my house a couple of years ago. As soon as I set my laptop up for him, he was onto the ECB county ratings pages to see what his latest ranking/points were.

[adarsh_bang]

Originally Posted by Saj It always amazes me just how stats focussed a lot of cricketers are and how closely they look at their domestic and international stats. I remember when Yasir Arafat came round to my house a couple of years ago. As soon as I set my laptop up for him, he was onto the ECB county ratings pages to see what his latest ranking/points were.

nothing wrong with it if you ask me , its like a student checking out his scores after his exams ..one does want to know where he stands in order to analyse his performances ,isn't it saj?

[Tapori]

Here you see someone who is focused - From his recollection of peoples perceptions of him, you can see why many in the Pak team would hate him;

A hard working, driven individual who doesn't have time for the histrionics and politics of the circus that is Pakistani Cricket.

Bit harsh on Ahmed Shehzad - Glad YK understands..

Imagine the team with YK at the helm for the next 3 years with minimal PCB interference...

[sharaf katawazi]

Originally Posted by saqibsalman For someone who's so 'humble' - he does speak a lot about his own stats and averages. Nonetheless, a very good interview.

this is every body right to mention his scores and averages.shann asked him those question.
and for ur kind information.he dont care his average.one day i asked him younas ur one day average is so less.he told me idont care about my average.what ever the average is.iam happy with my average

[Turbokam512]

Sabeeh , excellent work...
Dblock, Taha excellent work...

Younus, excellent work.. .no wait he was being interviewed....

just for jitters ...

seriously , good job all..
Thank you Younus for bieng a man of your word..
Thank you PP for the insight

[Turbokam512]

comment:

Younus was always asking for trouble with his no-self attitude and it did..The Pakistan team needs a Marshall like Imran Khan who is seriously friendly and knows who to treat how..maybe his attitude of bieng a big brother to everyone and bieng nice to all backfired on him.
Its nice to hear from a missing man who has been for a while out of most of the Pakistan cricket news, however if he is to make a place in the team again he has to fight for it ... he is not very assuring himself which can mean two things...
1) Either he has left everything on Almighty and is careless for the time being and enjoying this press-free and attraction/publicity free life..
2) the PCB have made it clear to him that he'll never play again at least while the butt's are in business..

[Omar Malik]

Great Interview!!!

Sehsan, you've done really well!

[GLORY OF '92]

Top interview.

Must play in England if we are to do well in the tests.

[Sledger]

Was reading this interview earlier, good to see that he was rewarded for not giving up the ghost. Hopefully, he gets his wish.

[*sallu*]

Well, to be honest hes past his peak

His peak was 2008ish but obviously, he couldn't retire then

Just hope he can end his career on a high

[*sallu*]

What a great interview

[Gollum]

Younis looks fit enough to go on for at least 2-3 more years. I hope he seriously considers giving up ODI cricket after the world cup and just concentrating on his Test career. We could really use his services - not only as a senior batsman, but also as a mentor to junior players.

[*sallu*]

Originally Posted by gollumbird Younis looks fit enough to go on for at least 2-3 more years. I hope he seriously considers giving up ODI cricket after the world cup and just concentrating on his Test career. We could really use his services - not only as a senior batsman, but also as a mentor to junior players.

If we win the world cup, or even do well, I'm almost 100% sure he will

[GOAT]

He must know he's not an amazing ODI player, and theres youngsters that can take up the #3 role from him. But I'm not too worried he'll stick around too late -- the guy stepped down as captain so Fawad could play, classy.

I want to see him break Miandads record for most Test runs don't know if it can happen from now to 3 years from now, but we do have a series with NZ and WI coming up.

[optimusprime1122]

lol he did it today got out at his peak.