On This Day: February 25, 2009 - Younis Khan made 313 against Sri Lanka

[A-1]

Younis Khan's attacking tactics did not pay off on the first day of the Test, but Pakistan's new leader wants his side to adopt an aggressive approach to replicate the success of the country's teams through the 1980s and 1990s.

"We have to get aggressive because in the past, in the 80s and 90s, we used to win just because of our aggressiveness. We have a name throughout the world as an aggressive cricket team."

Younis, who began the day unbeaten on 306 and eyeing Brian Lara's record score of 400, was dismissed for 313 by Dilhara Fernando. His effort propelled him to No 1 in the ICC's ranking for Test batsmen. He said he would have been more comfortable against the spinners, but unfortunately his counterpart realised that too. "There was no pressure on me [to get the record], but what Mahela [Jayawardene] did well early in the morning is that he put his fast bowlers in, who are very experienced and know how to bowl on such type of pitches. If the spinners had come I would have started from where I left, but Mahela read [the situation] very well and they got success with their planning."

Younis believed the team needed to improve on their fielding. "On such pitches you have to take your chances. We dropped Mahela on 40-odd in the first innings and then again after he scored 100. Had we chased 500 in the first innings I think the way wicket changed with some bounce and spin the result could have been much better. We have to think about our fielding and we need some training in this aspect."

He acknowledged that Pakistan would benefit from a specialist fielding coach. "Every team has fielding coaches so it's not a bad shout if we have one. It's difficult for the assistant coach and trainer to concentrate on it with so much travel. We had Jonty [Rhodes] in the past and I think we need one now too, whether it's a foreigner or a local."

The flat pitch at the National Stadium has attracted a fair amount of flak, even from Younis, and he was confident the side will adapt if offered a more lively track. "I am not bothered about the wickets. No matter what type of wicket it is, whether a green one or the one on which the ball breaks, I have to focus on how to play on it. For Test cricket I think we need good wickets.

"I have good fast bowlers, good spinners good openers and a good middle-order so I have no need to panic. Maybe I win the toss in Lahore [which hosts the second Test] and Sri Lanka struggles. If it's a flat track it should have bounce on it or if it's a green wicket it should be hard enough."

Not only did Younis fail to break Lara's record, but he was also unable to break the highest Test score by a Pakistani: Hanif Mohammad's 337 against West Indies. "Hanif Mohammad did come to meet me and he was more sad than me for not scoring 400. I've said it earlier that I play for my team and for my country. I've my own style of playing; I don't get disappointed. Maybe I will get another chance. I've still two to three years of cricket left in me but I've never gone after the records because I want to play cricket for my team, for my country."

Despite a torrid debut, former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram felt the team should give a fair run to Sohail Khan. Younis said Sohail looked a bit like Waqar Younis but he needed to improve quickly. "He has pace but he is bowling on both sides of the wicket. He is suitable for reverse-swing and bowls well with the new ball, but he has to improve his fitness and fielding and he needs to learn quickly."
Cricinfo Staff

Match In Discussion:
http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/388993.html

Video:
[utube]0hEgs_qAcBg[/utube]

 

[Khabri420]

Great innings by the former Pakistan captain!

 

[MRSN]

that was a great knock...

...not to forget Kami's 158 of 184 balls..that was a masterclass innings as well..absolutely butchered the likes of Murali,Vass,Mendis,Fernando...

 

[Paradox]

"I have 2 or 3 years left in me"

 

[Bhaijaan]

Good knock from a great batsman but that was a forgettable test really.

 

[saiyan0312]

Legend ... that was a great innings expecially since lanka made over 600 in the first innnings...

 

[shakil]

That was a patta pitch, may I add.

Just to keep our feet down

 

[Osman]

That was a patta pitch, may I add.

Just to keep our feet down

name me a 300 that hasn't been scored on a patta pitch

plus we were up against a 600 run score....

 

[Momin Baig]

I remember Inzi bhai saying that YK was slated to break Lara's record. I was really hoping he would get it too.

 

[Black Zero]

It was tailor-made for FTBs...
Jay ~250
Samara ~250
YK ~ 315
Kami ~ 160*
Faisal Iqbal ~60
Yasir Arafat ~50*

 

[Black Zero]

I remember Inzi bhai saying that YK was slated to break Lara's record. I was really hoping he would get it too.

If I recall correctly, he was out early in the day... (he was 300+ at the end of day and I knew that first 10 overs would decide if he's score ~400 or not, similar thing happened vs India)
YK is most vulnerable at the start of innings...

 

[carbon11]

Younis criticises Karachi pitch
by S M February 24, 2009


We need to have Test pitches which support good and lively cricket and which produce results," said Pakistan captain Younis Khan.

"We need wickets on which batsmen need to work hard to score runs. We need to recreate the charm of Test cricket.

"I think there is nothing wrong if the people who prepare pitches in our country educate themselves on how to prepare good Test wickets."

"How can you expect people to come and watch Test cricket when you have such flat pitches," Younus said.

"The team that plays well should win. That is what I say is a good pitch.


"I think maybe people in our country responsible for pitches are scared that we would lose matches. But we need to be positive if we are to compete with teams like South Africa, Australia and India," he added.


"It would be bad for Test cricket if you get one of these every time," said Sri Lanka coach Trevor Bayliss.


"Most of the time the wickets around the world are pretty good but every now and then you get a wicket that favours batsmen, which obviously makes the work hard for the bowlers."

 

[Momin Baig]

If I recall correctly, he was out early in the day... (he was 300+ at the end of day and I knew that first 10 overs would decide if he's score ~400 or not, similar thing happened vs India)
YK is most vulnerable at the start of innings...

Yup Younus has always has the problem of getting too far across in the beginning of play. If he sets in for at least 40 runs, he is bound to get a century. I remember waking up and hoping that YK was still there, but he had gotten out in the first few overs.

 

[vandokkum]

Every triple hundred is on flat pitch, hell even most double hundreds are on flat pitches.

 

[ahmedzee]

I remember sambit bal of cricinfo crying on about the pitch, calling it a travesty. Little did he know that India played in a similar pitch later in the month scoring 700+. That wasn't a travesty

 

[GentleMan]

I remember Younish doing pushups on the pitch after getting the triple hundred..one of the few cricketers you enjoy watching them get success.

 

[Abdullah719]

Been a decade.

 

[shaaik]

What a beautiful innings it was. expected Younus to break Brain Lara's record but he got out to an in-noxious delivery..

 

[Mamoon]

The last few days before the isolation . . .

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

The last few days before the isolation . . .

The fact that you used the word "isolation" highlights your mentality.

Thread is about an ATG batsman playing an ATG innings and all you can comment is . . .

A minion of Indian media's hate campaign against Pak, that's as precise as I can get to describe your persona.

 

[Mamoon]

The fact that you used the word "isolation" highlights your mentality.

Thread is about an ATG batsman playing an ATG innings and all you can comment is . . .

A minion of Indian media's hate campaign against Pak, that's as precise as I can get to describe your persona.

You can run your mouth as much as you want, but only I can explain why I made this comment and what it truly represents.

After 14 months without Test cricket, there was little hype for this two match Test series. Whatever excitement that people had for this series was squashed when we were humiliated in the ODIs series - losing the decider by over 200 runs after collapsing in a heap for 75.

After the run-fest in Karachi, a pitch so flat that even the triple-centurion Younis criticised the conditions after his marathon, there was hardly any buildup to the fateful Lahore Test that would shape the modern history of Pakistan cricket. The people who tuned out of the 'boring' run-fest had no idea that they were missing out on the last complete Test match at home for a generation and perhaps more.

Quite a few people who loved Test cricket and watched/or did not watch the match never lived to see another Test match in Pakistan again, while some of the children who now love Pakistan cricket were too young at the time to have any memory of that game.

The last few memories before a tragedy are often very normal and do not have any value, but the same memories become invaluable in the wake of a tragedy. For example, Sep 10, 2001 was just another day for the millions in NYC, but today, they would give anything to go back to that day and live out the future differently.

This tour of Sri Lanka, and in particular the Test in Karachi represents something similar for Pakistani cricket fans. They would do anything to go back in time and watch Jayawardene and Samaraweera torment the Pakistani bowlers on a dead pitch for two days, or watch Younis score a triple-hundred in a game that was already heading for a draw before he arrived at the crease.

People would also not mind to relive the horror show in Lahore in the third ODI when Afridi "left" a ball that uprooted his off-stump and reduced Pakistan to 20 for 6.

Before coming on the front foot and making personal attacks, you should always try to understand the meaning behind a statement and not just read the words. Perhaps, now is a good time for you to reflect on your own mentality.