PCB, former players pay rich tributes to Younis Khan

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) today congratulated Younis Khan on his 100th Test appearance with former players also praising the senior batsman for his achievements.

PCB Chairman, Shaharyar Khan said in a statement that Younis was one of the best batsmen produced by the country.

"Younis has an exemplary work ethic and he has inspired a number of players. His performances are a source of pride for every Pakistani and I would like to congratulate him on this wonderful achievement," Khan said.

Chairman Executive Committee Najam Sethi described Younis as a match-winner.

"He is a proven match winner with runs against all top teams and I hope that he continues playing with the same passion," he said.

Former players were also not short in their praise for Younis who became the fifth Pakistani player to play 100 Tests today when he appeared in the second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo.

Former captain and a senior official in the PCB, Intikhab Alam, said he had always been impressed by the commitment shown by Younis.

"Apart from his runs he has also been an excellent ambassador for Pakistan and he deserves all credit for his achievement of 100 Tests," Alam said.

Former captain and fast bowling great, Wasim Akram, said playing 100 Tests was not an easy job nowadays for a professional batsman.

"With the amount of cricket being played these days in all three formats you have to be at the top of your game to keep on playing and performing for such a long time," Akram said.

"This just goes to show Younis’s quality as an athlete," he added.

Incidentally, Younis Khan made his debut also against Sri Lanka back in the year 2000 scoring a hundred on debut.

Younis, who has scored 8,600 runs in Tests, is currently placed at number three in the list of Pakistan’s all-time Test run-scorers, behind Javed Miandad and Inzamam ul Haq – another 233 runs stand between him and Javed Miandad’s highest 8,832 runs.

Pakistan’s former captain and most capped player, Inzamam-ul-Haq, who played for a number of years with Younis featuring in a number of partnerships with him, said the fact that Younis had played 100 Tests and is still going strong spoke about his achievements and standing.

"Playing 100 Tests is never easy but Younis has maintained high standards and is not afraid to learn from his mistakes is and listen to his seniors and that is what makes him special," Inzamam said.