Former Pakistan cricketer Younis Khan is celebrating his 46th birthday today. He is a stalwart of Pakistan cricket and served it for almost two decades. He was an integral part of the Pakistan team in all the formats but his importance in the test squad was paramount. He tops the list for most runs and centuries in test cricket for a Pakistani. Younis Khan also has the greatest number of centuries for a Pakistani combining all the formats. He led Pakistan to their second multilateral trophy when they won the T20 World Cup in 2009.
The Beginning
Younis Khan made his ODI debut for Pakistan in 2000 against Sri Lanka in Karachi. The talented youngster got the opportunity to represent Pakistan in test cricket very soon. He made his debut against the same opposition in the same year at Rawalpindi. Consistent performances helped Khan cement his place in both formats.
In 2006 Younis Khan played his first T20 international against England at Bristol. Almost 4 years later he went on to lead the team to the T20 World Cup title in England.
The Overview
Younis Khan has had phenomenal stats in his long career, especially in test cricket. He has played 118 test matches for Pakistan where he scored 10099 runs at a brilliant average of 52.05. In test cricket, he has 34 centuries to his name along with 33 half-centuries which shows a brilliant conversion rate.
Younis Khan had equally vast experience in the limited-overs format. He represented Pakistan in 265 matches scoring 7249 runs. The former captain has 7 centuries in his account in this format. Apart from ODI cricket he also played in T20 cricket where he represented his team in 25 matches. As mentioned earlier, the highlight of his T20 career was the T20 World Cup title which Pakistan has not been able to lift again since then. Younis Khan’s stature in Pakistan cricket is unmatched and he will continue to be an inspiration for the upcoming generations of cricketers in Pakistan.
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