Younis Khan became the first Pakistan player to go past 10,000 runs in Tests but his record in the fourth innings is a true testament of him being a match-winner of the highest quality.
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For a very long time, Pakistan’s gold standard in Test cricket was Javed Miandad. His 8832 runs were the benchmark to which all Pakistan players aspired. As the 90s and the 21st century wore on, Pakistan did not get to play many Test matches. Inzamam-ul-Haq, Pakistan’s best batsman in that period, fell short by two runs. The other greats in Pakistan cricket, Saeed Anwar and Mohammad Yousuf, also fell short despite significant contributions.
Younis Khan, on the other hand, blazed an entirely different path that made him the G.O.A.T of Pakistan cricket. His record in Tests, especially when one looks at Pakistan’s volatile cricket, is second to none when compared to the rest. There have been several greats who redefined Pakistan but they were primarily bowlers. Players like Mohammad Hanif, Zaheer Abbas, Miandad, and Inzamam are some of the rare breeds of batsmen who have excelled. But, Younis Khan was in a different league altogether.
When one looks at Younis’ record in Test cricket, it is simply brilliant. He is the first player in the history of Pakistan cricket to score over 10,000 runs. The other notable record is his brilliance in overseas conditions. He is the only player in history to have scored a century in 11 countries. Since Pakistan played most of their Tests in the UAE, Younis has a very special record there.
If one looks at the home, away and neutral records for Younis Khan, it is simply marvelous. Younis has hit 16 overseas centuries, which is the most for any Pakistan player. In addition to 11 neutral centuries, he has hit seven centuries at home. His average is 59 and 55 in neutral conditions. Away, he has an average of nearly 49. He is one of the rarest breeds of cricketers. Even after 100 Tests, he has hit more centuries than fifties, indicating a phenomenal conversion rate.
His 34 centuries are the most by any Pakistan player and is level with Sunil Gavaskar’s tally. He has played a major part in all of Pakistan’s notable wins in their brief ascent to the No.1 rank. In 2016, his brilliant rearguard 218 saw Pakistan overcome the odds to beat England at The Oval. That allowed Pakistan to level the four-match series 2-2. He was one of the few Pakistan players to shine in Australia, hitting 175 in Sydney and ending with an average of 50 in a country where Pakistan’s players have endured nightmare runs.
Younis is an elite list when it comes to overseas performances. Only Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis and Brian Lara are ahead of him when it comes to the number of runs scored overseas. But, it is his contribution in the fourth innings that makes him truly one of the greats.
When one compares the average, he is one of the few in the world to average over 50 in the fourth innings in a Test match. Graeme Smith, Virat Kohli, Jack Hobbs, Geoffrey Boycott, Ricky Ponting, and Gordon Greenidge are some of the legends who average over 50 in the fourth innings. Younis, though, has hit five centuries in the fourth innings which is the most by any batsman. We all know Smith and VVS Laxman to be the ultimate masters in the fourth innings. But, Younis has had a great impact.
But, it is his overall consistency in all the innings which is staggering. In the first, second, and fourth innings, his average is well over 50. It is only in the third that his average dips but that is at 46 which is by no means bad. There is a relatively uniform distribution of his centuries, with 11 each in the first and second innings. There are seven in the third and five in the fourth.
In his 17-year international career especially in Tests, Younis has been phenomenal in 15 out of the 17 years. Just once did his yearly average dip below 30 and that was in 2003 when he averaged just 20.5. That was the only year in which he did not score a century. His best years were 2006 and 2014. In 2006, he hit 1179 runs at an average of 65.5. But, in 2014, he surpassed it all by averaging 66.5 with 1064 runs with five centuries.
It was in 2014 that Younis Khan played a prime role in Pakistan ending their 20-year jinx against Australia in Tests. He smashed 106, 103*, and 213 in three consecutive innings as Pakistan thrashed Australia. It was in tough circumstances that Younis brought out his best. In 2005, he hit 267 and 84 to help Pakistan beat India in Bangalore and level the series.
As captain, he had several bad moments. The tour to Australia in 2009/10 was a disaster for Pakistan cricket. This resulted in him facing a life ban. But, earlier in the year, Younis led Pakistan from the front as they won the ICC World T20 by beating Sri Lanka in Lord’s. The backdrop of the win was tragic. Pakistan was reeling from the terror attack on the Sri Lanka team in Lahore in March and international cricket had stopped in Pakistan.
In his final series, he played a small role in Pakistan finally winning a series in the West Indies for the first time in their history. Thus, he ticked off all the boxes that would have been achievable. A victory in Australia is possibly the only missing achievement in a glorious CV. There will never be another match-winner for Pakistan in the form of Younis Khan. Truly, his achievements are phenomenal.
