Tag: Younis Khan

England batting maestro Joe Root has etched his name in the history books as he went past Brian Lara, Younis Khan and Mahela Jayawardene’s tally of centuries during the Multan Test against Pakistan.

Root struck his 35th Test hundred on Day 3 and jumped to the sixth place in the list of most centuries in the format.

With his landmark achievement, the former England captain surpassed Brian Lara, Younis Khan and Mahela Jayawardene, who have scored 34 centuries each in Test cricket. Root is now only three centuries shy of fourth-ranked Kumar Sangakkara.

Most Centuries in Test Cricket

• Sachin Tendulkar – 51 centuries
• Jacques Kallis – 45 centuries
• Ricky Ponting – 41 centuries
• Kumar Sangakkara – 38 centuries
• Rahul Dravid – 36 centuries
• Joe Root – 35 centuries

Moreover, Root also surpassed legendary England batter Alastair Cook for the record of most runs in Test cricket for the country.

The 33-year-old, who has been in remarkable form, walked out to bat at No.3 with England 4-1 and anchored the innings with a mesmerizing knock.

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He was 71 runs behind Cook’s record of 12,472 in Test cricket for England and achieved the milestone with a boundary off Aamir Jamal.

With 12,473 Test runs, Joe Root is now the highest run-scorer for his country in the format, followed by Cook and legendary Graham Gooch (8900).

Root also reached the fifth spot in the all-time highest Test run-scorers with Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar leading the list with 15921 runs.

READ: Ton-up Joe Root helps England dominate Day 3 against Pakistan

Former Pakistan captain Younis Khan picked wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan and left-handed batter Fakhar Zaman as the potential candidates to take up Pakistan’s white-ball captaincy after Babar Azam’s resignation.

Younis addressed the media during his visit to the iconic Adelaide Oval and stated that relinquishing the captaincy may benefit Babar to improve his performance as a batter.

“Stepping away from the captaincy will be beneficial for Babar Azam,” said Younis.

“In our culture, we often make the biggest player the captain, which I believe is a mistake. Either Mohammad Rizwan or Fakhar Zaman should be considered for the role,” he added.

The 2009 T20 World Cup-winning captain also commented on the current state of the national men’s cricket team and expressed hope for them to do well in Australia.

“I hope the Pakistan men’s cricket team performs well in Australia. The current squad includes young players, and there are certainly some issues with team selection that need to be addressed,” Younis said.

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Younis Khan then went on to laud Pakistan’s red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie, stating that the former Australian pacer is working hard for the betterment of Pakistan cricket.

“I have played cricket with Jason Gillespie; he is working hard to improve the Pakistan team. However, there needs to be better decision-making when it comes to selection,” he said.

For the unversed, Younis Khan is on a visit to Australia to participate in the upcoming Australian Summer Cricket Festival, scheduled for October 5 in Melbourne.

The former Pakistan captain will be accompanied by Glenn Maxwell and Jake Fraser-McGurk in the event, which is focused to celebrate the sport and converge the cricketing talent from all over the globe.

READ: PCB unveils commentary panel for Pakistan-England Tests

KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain Younis Khan offered a piece of advice to white-ball captain Babar Azam, stating he should focus solely on his performance.

Younis addressed the media here on Saturday and shared that he only has one piece of advice to under-fire Babar Azam and that is to “perform”.

“My only advice to Babar Azam is to perform. He became the captain [of the national team] only because he was a performer,” said Younis.

“There are high expectations from Babar, and while players use social media, their real answers should come through the bat and ball,” he added.

Younis Khan further advised Babar Azam to think beyond captaincy. He also cited an example of India’s batting star Virat Kohli, who according to the former Pakistan captain, excelled after relinquishing the role.

“Performance is what matters; captaincy is a small thing,” Younis stated.

Younis, who holds the record of scoring the most Test runs for Pakistan, also asserted that Babar has the potential to surpass him, stating that the star batter can accumulate 15,000 runs in the format.

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Younis Khan then went on to urge the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to revamp departmental cricket.

“I could play cricket because of UBL. Departmental cricket has sustained many players, and its revival is crucial,” he said.

The former captain also acknowledged the prominence of franchise league cricket but emphasized that domestic cricket should not be overlooked.

Remember, the PCB decided to hold a high-profile meeting on September 22, dubbed “Connection Camp”, to discuss the future of the national cricket team as well as all-format captaincy.

But Younis Khan was of the view that the cricketing body should refrain from sudden changes, specifically in coaching setup and leadership.

READ: Commentary panel for Pakistan-South Africa T20I series unveiled

Legendary Pakistan cricketers including Javed Miandad and Inzamam-ul-Haq reacted to the national men’s team’s first-ever Test series defeat against Bangladesh.

The Green Shirts succumbed to a 2-0 loss in the two-match series against Bangladesh, which culminated at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

Bangladesh outclassed Pakistan by six wickets in the second Test to complete the clean sweep. The touring side had won the first Test thumpingly by 10 wickets.

Former Test captain Javed Miandad, known for his blunt remarks, expressed his disappointment specifically with the team’s batting woes while lauding the touring side for their disciplined performances.

“It is hurting that our cricket has come to this stage. Bangladesh deserve credit for their disciplined performances. But the way our batting has collapsed in this series is a bad sign,” said Miandad.

Another former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq expressed his concerns over the team’s struggle in home conditions.

“Home series were always considered our best chance of beating the best sides in the past. But for this to happen the batsmen need to get runs,” Inzamam said.

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Pakistan’s leading century-scorer in Test cricket Younis Khan emphasized that the national players need mental strengthening to overcome the losing streak at home.

“Our batters have got runs in the past but right now I think they need mental strengthening and a clear mind to overcome this crisis,” stated Younis.

Former Pakistan Test spinner Iqbal Qasim, on the other hand, asserted that the national team needs to improve in the spin-bowling department, highlighting that the national team does not feature great pacers like Wasim Akram.

“We don’t have bowlers of the calibre of Sarfaraz Nawaz, Wasim Akram, Waqar or Shoaib now. So, we should be banking on our spinners to win us Tests at home,” he said.

READ: Bangladesh captain imitates Lionel Messi after series victory over Pakistan

England’s star batter Joe Root joined Pakistan’s great Younis Khan in the list of batters with the most centuries in Test cricket.

Root, who is enjoying a purple patch with the bat in red-ball cricket, scored another hundred in the ongoing second home Test against Sri Lanka, taking his centuries tally to 34.

With his 34th century, Joe Root came level with legends of the game including Pakistan’s Younis Khan, India’s Sunil Gavaskar, Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardene and West Indies’ Brian Lara.

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Earlier in the first innings, Root played a marathon 143-run knock which featured 18 boundaries.

He scored 103 as England bowled out on 251 in the second innings, setting Sri Lanka a 483-run target.

India’s batting great Sachin Tendulkar (51) scored the most number of centuries in Test cricket, followed by Jacques Kallis (45), Ricky Ponting (41), Kumar Sangakkara (38) and Rahul Dravid (36).

Most Hundreds in Test Cricket

Sachin Tendulkar: 51
Jacques Kallis: 45
Ricky Ponting: 41
Kumar Sangakkara: 38
Rahul Dravid: 36
Joe Root: 34*
Sunil Gavaskar: 34
Mahela Jayawardene: 34
Brian Lara: 34
Younis Khan: 34
Alastair Cook: 33

He also became the all-time leading century-scorer for England in Tests, going past former captain Alastair Cook.

The right-handed batter achieved the milestone in England’s first innings of the second Test against Sri Lanka at Lord’s.

Root immediately pointed to the sky after reaching three figures in a gesture in memory of former England batter and assistant coach Graham Thorpe, who died aged 55 earlier this month after taking his own life.

Joe Root, who recently amassed 12,000 runs in Test cricket to become the seventh-highest run-scorer of all time, has second-placed Ponting and Tendulkar’s overall record within sight.

Notably, no active player has as many hundreds as Root.

READ: Aakash Chopra picks two Pakistan pacers with best Yorkers

Former Pakistan captain Younis Khan urged newly-elected International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman Jay Shah to show sportsman spirit and ensure India’s visit to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025.

Younis welcomed Shah’s appointment as the new ICC Chair and urged the latter to do the needful to uplift the sport of cricket.

“The cricket should uplift with the appointment of Jay Shah as the ICC chief,” said Younis Khan.

“Jay Shah needs to show the sportsman spirit, as with the good initiatives of the ICC chief, India can come to Pakistan to play cricket. In the same way, Pakistan can visit India,” he added.

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The T20 World Cup-winning captain also commented on Pakistan’s gut-wrenching 10-wicket defeat against Bangladesh in the first Test of the two-match series and demanded the national team to play for the sake of the country.

“There is always a pressure to play cricket in home conditions. What is the benefit to the players if they cannot absorb the pressure? There is a dire need for the players to boost their morale.”

“Everybody has seen that whether the pitch was fast or slow.

“We have clinched victories at that time when no international cricket was happening in the country.”

Younis Khan then went on to react to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi’s statement of having no pool of players to perform surgery of the national men’s team.

“I have no idea why the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman has talked about having no talent in domestic cricket,” Younis said.

“We have immense talent in our domestic cricket.”

READ: Pakistan kick off training for second Test against Bangladesh

KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain Younis Khan reacted to the reports of Waqar Younis getting a major role in the ranks of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Reports emerged on Tuesday that PCB Mohsin Naqvi has decided to hand over the power to make cricket decisions to Waqar.

The sources further claimed that Naqvi would oversee the administrative affairs only, while Waqar would be responsible for all the decisions regarding international and domestic selection committees, players’ No Objection Certificates (NOCs) and other important cricket matters.

According to the PCB Constitution 2014, the chairman has the authority to delegate his power to someone, thereby enabling the transfer of powers to Waqar.

Meanwhile, Younis Khan, during an interaction with the media here on Wednesday, backed PCB Chairman Naqvi’s decision to hand the reigns of the cricket affairs to Waqar Younis.

“I’ve played under Waqar Younis and I think it’s a good sign that he’s coming back to the cricket board,” said Younis.

“Waqar Younis has the opportunity to solve the [cricketing] issues,” he added.

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Younis further commented on the recent dip in the Pakistan men’s cricket team’s performance and emphasized the need to improve the infrastructure.

“Pakistan’s performance used to be on the top in the past. I think we need to work on our infrastructure,” Younis said.

The former captain, who led Pakistan to their maiden T20 World Cup title in 2009, also called for the resumption of the bilateral cricketing ties between fierce rivals Pakistan and India.

“Pakistan-India cricket should go ahead. I wish someone like Pervez Musharraf would come and restore Pak-India cricket,” said Younis.

Younis Khan also expressed his desire for India to visit Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

He also highlighted that the Pakistan team was always treated with respect whenever they visited India.

“I wish to see Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli playing in Pakistan [in Champions Trophy 2025]. Whenever we toured India, we were treated with utmost respect,” he concluded.

READ: Former Pakistan cricketer calls for relocation of Asia Cup 2025 from India

Former Pakistan Younis Khan has thrown his weight behind current national white-ball captain Babar Azam, pointing out the lack of captaincy options in the country.

Babar Azam has been under fire following Pakistan’s lacklustre ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign, where they got knocked out from the group stage.

Many fans and critics have attributed the Green Shirts’ disastrous performance to Babar’s captaincy and called for his removal as captain.

However, Younis Khan disagreed with the notion, highlighting the country’s inadequate cricket infrastructure. He blamed it for not preparing backup players to replace the struggling players.

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“We give our views very quickly. If we talk about our current team, the players don’t have a fault. Instead, I will blame the infrastructure. If we don’t have the back-up, how will you replace the (out of form) players?” Younis said during an interview with a local news channel.

He defended Babar and shifted the blame on previous management and selection committees for not building players who could lead the team.

“We generally speak that Babar Azam should not be the captain. If not Babar Azam, who else should be the captain? That’s not Babar Azam’s fault,” he added.

“Neither this is the current selection committee’s fault. This is the fault of something that happened 5-6 years back. We should have built our bench strength,” Younis Khan concluded.

It is worth noting that in the aftermath of Pakistan’s T20 World Cup debacle, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) sacked Abdul Razzaq and Wahab Riaz from selection committee, while the latter also lost his job as senior team manager. Meanwhile, team manager Mansoor Rana was also removed from the post.

READ: Former Pakistan pacer calls Gautam Gambhir ‘parchi’ case

Former Pakistan captain Younis Khan broke silence on the tragic death of former head coach Bob Woolmer amid ICC Men’s World Cup 2007.

Woolmer passed away a day after Pakistan’s early exit from the tournament due to their upset defeat against Ireland on March 17.

He was found dead in his room and speculations emerged that it might have been a murder. However, thorough investigations, carried out by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Jamaican authorities confirmed it was a natural death.

Meanwhile, legendary batter Younis Khan, during an interview at a local news channel, spoke highly of Bob Woolmer and claimed that had the latter remained Pakistan’s head coach, the team would achieve great success.

“I have no doubt that if Woolmer had remained head coach, Pakistan cricket would have been very different today, and he would have taken it to great heights,” Younis said.

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“I was very close to Bob [Woolmer] and it was our daily routine to sit down together after a match or nets to discuss cricket. Unfortunately, the night he passed away, we didn’t sit together as we had lost to Ireland.

“I was also out for a duck and was very upset with myself. So, I went to my room and locked myself in. The next day, I didn’t see him at breakfast and later we learnt about his death,” he added.

Younis then went on to reveal the “torture” the national cricket team suffered after Woolmer’s death as they were relocated to some other island and were investigated by the local police.

“It was like a torture for us there. While I fully understand the responsibilities a player has to show as an ambassador of his country, it should be the other way round… authorities must also look after us,” he concluded.

READ: Younis Khan names Babar Azam’s replacement for Pakistan captaincy

Former Pakistan captain Younis Khan has discussed the crucial role and necessary traits for a successful captain after Pakistan Champions’ victory over India Champions in the World Championship of Legends.

While addressing the media after the match, Younis Khan dedicated the victory to Pakistan fans, who were left heartbroken after the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 debacle.

He advised the fans to remain patient and back the team in crucial times.

“The advice to the fans is to stay patient as change cannot happen overnight. We cannot just remove the current players and bring players from outside, this cannot work,” said Younis Khan.

Babar Azam-led Pakistan team is facing massive criticism from fans and former players alike over their disastrous performance in the T20 World Cup, with many calling for a change in leadership.

Talking about the captaincy, the former captain shed light on the qualities of a good captain.

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“A captain should be someone who is capable of leading the side, who can handle the pressure. It’s not just about batting or bowling, a captain should think of every player, even if the player is on the bench,” Khan stated.

“You should know the player’s technique, his energy and skills. Only then, you can get the best out of them,” he added.

Moreover, he cited the examples of former Pakistan captains Imran Khan, Javed Miandad and Wasim Akram, who took the best of their players and built a team that served the nation for years.

“We talk about the great Imran Khan, Javed bhai (Javed Miandad), or Wasim Akram. Why were they good coaches [or captains]? Because they gave us players like Saqlain Mushtaq, Abdul Razzaq, Azhar Mahmood, and Shahid Afridi. According to me, a leader should be a good motivator alongside being a good batter or bowler,” Khan concluded.

Younis Khan-led Pakistan Champions are currently sitting at the top of the World Championship of Legends standings with eight points from four games.

READ: Mushtaq Ahmed joins England U19 coaching panel