Asif Iqbal says Younis' achievements should 'shut up' critics forever

Former Pakistan cricket team captain Asif Iqbal has lauded veteran batsman Younis Khan for his heroics in the ongoing Test series against Australia, and said that the coveted achievements made by the seasoned batsman should shut up his critics forever.

Iqbal said that Younis' performance in the United Arab Emirates should forever silence all his critics, adding that not only has he equalled Herbert Sutcliffe's 89-year record of three hundreds against Australia in three consecutive innings, but has done so at a time when his career and the image of Pakistan cricket were in serious need of rejuvenation.

He said that remember, Younis' great feat started after a disastrous series against Sri Lanka and an equally dismal thrashing at the hands of Australia in the T20 and ODI series prior to the ongoing Test rubber, The Dawn reported.

He added that Younis was excluded from the ODI squad as the national selectors had made it clear that as far as ODIs were concerned he was not in the frame.

Iqbal said that then came the Test series against Australia in which a straight Pakistan whitewash was expected and when Pakistan were reduced to 7 for 2 in the first half an hour of the opening Test, adding that everything appeared to be going according to the prediction and popular expectation.

He said that few would have expected Pakistan to get more than 150, and added that it was at that point that Younis walked in and the determination with which he played showed that he had a point to prove and he proved it in the best possible way, with his bat.

Iqbal, who played 58 Tests between 1964 and 1980, said that too many cricketers resort to media to reply to the criticisms levelled against them but it never really works. He added that this is the way to do it.

He said that Younis' runs have come at an excellent rate too and anyone now trying to exclude him from Pakistan's World Cup squad would be considerably less than intelligent.

Interestingly, Younis after his marathon 213-run knock on Friday also lifted his Test runs tally exactly equal to that of great Sir Gary Sobers (8,032) of the West Indies with both of them having featured in 93 Tests, the report added.