Writing in his blog, the former Pakistan fielding coach praises Younis Khan for his continued professionalism and dedication to the Pakistan team.

By Julien Fountain (14th November, 2015) 

By the time you read this, you will have no doubt read countless other articles about Younis Khan and his recent retirement from ODIs. So I will not try and compete with the many journalists who have listed his career achievements, career statistics etc etc. Instead I will give you my own personal take on Younis Khan the sportsman, the ambassador, the person. 

Having been involved with Pakistan cricket, first in 2001, then again in 2006 and finally 2012-2014, and over the years I have seen a variety of player personalities and psychology. There are those who work hard for show, and there are those who simply work hard. Younis is most definitely the latter. 

He does not make a huge song and dance about receiving throw downs from the new head coach; instead being completely happy with working with whomsoever has the time available to work with him. He does not insist on batting, and batting, and batting, and batting until the coach’s arm is hanging by a thread; instead he will specify he only wants 18 balls, thrown in multiples of 3, each with a specific objective in mind. 

My recollection of Younis is that despite being one of the senior players, and one of the older guys, he was always first on his feet to start a drill. He was always at the front of the queue to start a practice. He seldom if ever complained, and went about his preparation in a methodical and workmanlike manner. 

Many players talk a big game, but when push comes to shove, they would rather sit one out, than go the extra mile. Younis and Misbah are both shining examples to any prospective team member. Both know exactly what they need to do to prepare for a game. Both put in extra effort to ensure that they are ready for battle. 

From a coach’s perspective, working with Younis both on his batting and on his fielding, was a really good experience. He would not expect a million balls to be thrown at him, with no real plan. He would not expect to catch an endless stream of balls hit at him; instead opting to set targets and goals in order to make the practice competitive. 

In fact, even when having throw downs, Younis would set targets and goals and challenge the coaches to be able to get him out. And for the record, he would be humble and congratulatory should that occur occasionally ! 

He approaches his kitbag in exactly the same manner. He would meticulously pack and repack his equipment, cleaning and tidying items where required. You can always tell which is Younis’s area as it will be distinctly well organized and tidy. Woe betide you if you stray into his clean and tidy area with your untidy clothes or equipment bags. I remember in a slightly cramped changing room, where he was positioned between two slightly untidy people (myself & A.N other) I returned to the changing room after a practice one day to find that there were two neat strips of tape that marked the “Borders” of Younis territory. Needless to say, we did not stray into YK governed territory after that! 

Younis always has time to discuss things, cricket and non cricket; which was really helpful to me as he had a wealth of experience to impart to students of the game. He was always able to engage in a debate about a topic, without resulting in a shouting match to prove a point. 

Over a twenty-year career I have been fortunate enough to coach some of the world's most famous players; but if I had to choose the person I enjoyed working with the most, Younis Khan and his infectious enthusiasm combined with consummate professionalism, tends to come out on top. Thank you Younis, I wish you well for the future.

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