Younis Khan makes history; first Pakistani to join 10,000-run club

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KINGSTON, Jamaica: Veteran cricketer Younis Khan has become the first Pakistani batsman in Test cricket to complete 10,000 runs when he reached 23 on the third day of the first Test against West Indies here at the Sabina Park on Sunday.

Overall, he is the 13th batsman in Test cricket to make 10,000 or more runs. Earlier, three Australians – Ricky Ponting, Allan Border and Steve Waugh - three Indians – Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sunil Gavaskar - two West Indians – Brian Lara and Shivnarine Chanderpaul – and two Sri Lankans – Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene - crossed this coveted milestone along with Jacques Kallis of South Africa and Alastair Cook of England.

What an incredible achievement Younis khan. So proud of you & happy to be part of your special moment! #10000 Runs pic.twitter.com/MGNq0tXgoG

— Azhar Mahmood (@AzharMahmood11) April 24, 2017

Tendulkar is the leading run-getter with 15,921in a record 200 Test matches while no other batsman could reach even 14,000-run mark.

Younis has achieved numerous feats in his illustrious 116-Test career and the 10,000 runs may be his last milestone as he has already announced it will be the last Test series of his 17-year career.

Before Younis, no player from Pakistan even came close to reaching this milestone, with Javed Miandad (8,832), Pakistan’s most prolific batsman for 30 years until Younis Khan’s six off Moeen Ali of England in Abu Dhabi in 2015 that took him past Miandad’s tally.

Younis had even thought about retiring after he broke Miandad’s record but the motivation of becoming the first from Pakistan to 10,000 runs kept him going.

“I had a plan to retire after surpassing Javed bhai’s record then I was motivated to complete 10,000 runs so I have decided to get them,” Younis told media when he announced his retirement.

The Pakistan stalwart is a man of many records. He holds the records of making the most runs and scoring the highest number of centuries for Pakistan.

He has so far scored 10,041 runs, which included 1,000 or more runs against four different countries. One more country may be added to the tally if he scores further 28 runs against the West Indies.

It is his courage, determination & ability to score against quality bowling in difficult conditions that has led to this achievement. https://t.co/MawiDnER5T
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) April 24, 2017

The 39-year-old batsman also holds the record of getting the highest average with 52.84 per innings. Only three other Pakistani batsmen – Javed Miandad (52.57), Mohammad Yousuf (52.57) and Inzamam-ul-Haq (50.16) - crossed the average of 50 in a Test career.

Read more: The best of Younis Khan

The highest score by Younis was 313, which he made against Sri Lanka at Karachi in February 2009. He was the third Pakistani to hit a Test triple century, after Hanif Mohammad (337) and Inzamam-ul-Haq (329). Later, Azhar Ali became the fourth by scoring 302 against West Indies in a day-night Test match.

Younis Khan acknowledges the cheers after reaching his triple-century, Pakistan v Sri Lanka, 1st Test, Karachi, 4th day, February 24, 2009.

Besides a triple-century, five double hundreds were also included in his 34 Test centuries, the sixth most in the world. Sachin Tendulakar with 51 is the leading century-maker in Test cricket.

His 34 hundreds in just 207 innings include eight against Sri Lanka, five against India, four each against Australia, England and South Africa, three each against West Indies and Bangladesh, two against New Zealand and one against Zimbabwe.

He is the first and the only player in the world to have scored a Test hundred in 11 countries that have hosted Test matches and only batsman from Pakistan to hit centuries against all other nine Test playing nations and the 12th International player to achieve this feat.

Younis Khan raises bat after scoring century against Australia in January 2017. With this ton, he became the first cricketer to score Test centuries in 11 countries.

He is among the nine Pakistani batsmen who made a century in each innings of a Test match. It was in October 2014 when he reached his 25th Test century against Australia and made his 26th in the second innings of the same Test match to break Inzamam’s record of hitting the highest number of centuries for Pakistan and also to become the sixth Pakistani batsman to achieve this feat.

He is also one of the five Pakistani cricketers who appeared in more than 100 Test matches. Other four are Miandad (124), Inzamam (119), Wasim Akram (104) and Saleem Malik (103).

Besides, Younis is the first and the only Pakistani fielder to take 100 or more catches in Test cricket, with 133 in 116 matches.

In his 116-Test career, Younis has also missed a number of matches mainly due to a tussle with the PCB, as well as deaths in the family.

He could not feature in the third Test of the home series against England in 2005 due to death of his brother and missed a whopping nine Tests in Australia and England in 2009-10 due to his tussle with the board after he resigned as captain.

The present series against West Indies is his first Test tour to the Caribbean in 12 years. When Pakistan were there to play a two-Test series in 2011, Younis had to return back due to death of another brother.

Younis was batting in the second ODI against West Indies in Faisalabad when the news of his brother's death reached the team management. Younis only came to know about the situation after he returned to the pavilion at the end of his innings. Younis immediately left for his home town Mardan and did not participate in any of the remaining matches.

Younis Khan has dedicated his achievement to his family and late coach Bob Woolmer, who died in mysterious circumstances in West Indies during 2007 World Cup.

In August 2014 Saad Khan, son of Saeed Khan and nephew of Younis Khan died.

“I was on tour when I received the news of death of my elder sister, and when my father died I was again on tour,” Younis said ahead of his 100th Test in 2015. “Even when my brothers died I wasn’t present at home and had to leave the tours.

Younis also mentioned his grief at the death of Bob Woolmer in March 2007 after Pakistan's exit from the World Cup. He stated that he saw Bob as a father figure after the loss of his own father and that he was able to share many personal thoughts with the cricket coach.

Younis also had an honour of leading Pakistan cricket team as he was captain in nine Test matches between 2005 and 2009. Though his captaincy record was not impressive as he guided his team in only one victory against four defeats and five drawn games.

He has been an integral part in the team post-2003 World Cup and formed a deadly batting combination with Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Yousuf. They were known as Pakistan’s ‘big guns’.

Younis Khan acknowledges The Oval crowd as he celebrates his double century on day three of the fourth Test against England in August 2016.

Born on November 29, 1977 in Mardan, Younis Khan made his first-class debut in 1998-99 and played his first Test in early 2000 against Sri Lanka at Rawalpindi. Though he made only 12 runs in the first innings but scored a brilliant 107 in the second innings to achieve the feat of hitting a century on Test debut.

If he scores a hundred in the third Test against West Indies in Dominica, it would be a memorable farewell for him as no Pakistani batsman could achieve the honour of hitting hundreds in his first and the last Test.

Younis made his debut in One-day International cricket in February 2000 against Sri Lanka at Karachi and has since played over 264 ODIs, scoring 7240 runs at an an average of 31.34with seven hundreds and 48 fifties. He announced his retirement from this format in November 2015.

Note: The report has been updated at the end of the first Test match at Kingston on April 25, 2017 .

Younis Khan celebrating after reaching his 10,000th Test runs