Younis Khan: Pakistan's Man of the Hour

Younis Khan

On the 6th of August 2014, Mahela Jayawardene walked onto the field to a guard of honor at Galle for what is to be his final Test series. There were fireworks and hysterical fans and a feeling in the air that Sri Lankan cricket was soon to feel a void that would be left behind by one of their most prized possessions.

Commentators chimed about never having witnessed Galle so enthused over a Test match. Mahela’s retirement was just another reminder that the days of class and temperament may well be behind us and spectators of the world seemed desperate to cherish it one last time. Younis Khan, just a year junior stood watching from the sidelines, this wasn’t his celebration but he was ready to be the man of the hour.

A cricketer, not an entertainer

The problem with Younis lies with the fact that he is a cricketer, not a performer. He does not have the aura of a Shahid Afridi; all he banks on is his dependability. The 36-year-old batsman walks onto the field with a smile regardless of the situation the team may be in. He speaks with his cover drives and sweep shots. He won’t try to dazzle you with risky boundaries. There may not be movies named after him, he may not be the most commercially viable option for ad campaigns but you can be sure to always catch him adorned in white with his floppy hat at slip, eager and ready.

In 2009, during the World T20, the Mardan-born batsman (then captain) made a statement about how he was taking the World Cup lightly because T20 was “fun” cricket. The man was massacred. The once jubilant Younis was seen serious and aggressive on the field and Pakistan went on to win that tournament. This is a man who etched his name in world cricket through the 5-day format.

In hindsight, the IPL is one big party, was he wrong in assuming 20 overs didn’t make for real cricket? Despite having captained the winning side, Younis stood by as the world hailed Afridi the true hero, never one to cause a stir.

Younis is a man who plays for the love of cricket. He doesn’t believe he is above the domestic format and even as a senior player, has always made himself available to the PCB. He is the personification of an undervalued individual who is yet to receive his due right. In 2014, as the central contracts were announced, Younis Khan despite his 14-year experience, was demoted to a category “B” contract. An absolute mockery of a player who has 24 centuries under his belt and is the third leading run getter in Tests from Pakistan, only behind Javed Miandad and Inzamam-ul-Haq.

A record that compares with the greats

Since 2002, the middle-order batsman has scored 21 centuries. As it stands, after 90 Test matches, he has scored more runs than Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis, Allan Border and Steve Waugh. He has been involved in 51-century partnerships, moving past Miandad to create the record for Pakistan and yet his selection is always met with much ambiguity.

On day 1 of the match at Galle, Pakistan found themselves in a typical predicament, 58 runs for 3 wickets and a smiling Khan calm in his endeavor to be Pakistan’s hero. His century felt like a statement. The 177 runs he put on the board pushed Pakistan to a place of safety where earlier they were scrambling like headless chickens. He had managed once again to speak with his bat and not with his words and silenced those who questioned his age and his form. He would leave on his own terms.

Humble as ever, Younis has only one aim, to play and promote cricket in Pakistan. He has spoken of opening an academy where he can blood cricketers of his caliber, a dying breed, the kind the team really needs. In a world of cheerleaders and confetti, he is the reminder of a time when the Test cap was the ultimate honour. As day 1 of play came to a close, headlines screamed his name and fans flocked to social media forums to show their appreciation. The former Pakistan skipper, once again, was having his 15 minutes before he would be forgotten for many days to come.

Too often fans of the game suffer from short-term memory loss. Younis Khan is victim to this infliction. Pakistan lost the first match to Sri Lanka and the heroics of the first session are likely to be forgotten. As the smoke subsided at Galle, there was a realization that he may not receive the kind of farewell fit for a modern day legend of his class. There may be no fireworks, no guard of honor, no books and movies and articles about him, but there will be a void, an ache for a generation, for a man who silently racked up runs and rescued his team, waiting patiently for his merit.