Younis makes history

Congratulatory messages are pouring in from all corners of the cricket world for Younis Khan, who became the first Pakistani batsman to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket. The former Pakistan captain achieved this major milestone on the third day of the first Test between Pakistan and the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica  on Sunday. It was an unlikely setting for such a unique achievement, with just a handful of spectators present to applaud Younis as he became only the 13th  players in Test history to cross the 10,000-run barrier with a trademark sweep off spinner Roston Chase soon after the tea break. Unlike many of his peers, Younis isn’t fond of theatrics but the 39-year-old took his time to celebrate a feat that not even the greatest of his compatriots like Javed Miandad and Inzamam-ul-Haq had even come close to achieving. Younis certainly has made a habit of breaking records. Earlier he surpassed Miandad’s tally of 8832 runs to become the highest run-getter for Pakistan. He also holds the Pakistan record for highest number of Test tons and is the only cricketer in the world to have scored centuries in 11 countries across the world. Younis reached 10,000 runs in his 208th  Test innings which makes him the sixth fastest to get there with an average of a shade above 53. He is also the oldest cricketer to reach that milestone. Soon after getting to the landmark, Younis declared that it was a credit to his family and to Bob Woolmer, his late coach who died during World Cup 2007 in Kingston.

Younis is receiving lavish praise from both home and aboard and deservedly so. The man has been a symbol of hard work and dedication during a 17-year career in which nothing came easy. Younis began as a batsman,who didn’t seem to have the class of Zaheer Abbas or the grit of Javed Miandad. But he worked hard and is now counted among the legends of the game. Perhaps more importantly, Younis emerged as a role model for young Pakistani batsmen with his perseverance and never-say-die approach. During the best part of his career, Pakistan cricket has struggled due to a series of scandals. But Younis has stood firm, like a rock weathering one storm after the other. He has been a shining light that has provided Pakistan cricket with one of its brightest chapters.