JOIN USYounis to do it for his countrymen
But there was this man, sitting in the stands while praying to God for a title victory with tears in his eyes. In many ways that lonely picture mirrored the state of Pakistan – lonely and craving for a medicine to heal its wounds.
Like that solitary spectator, Pakistan skipper Younis Khan too believed that a World Cup triumph, something they had missed out on two years ago in South Africa, can change the picture of his country.
“Actually this World Cup is everything for us, especially when we have been suffering from everything in Pakistan at the moment. The law and order is not good and there’s lot of fighting also going on. If we win this World Cup it will bring about a lot of change in the people of our country, especially in the troubled region of North, where I come from. This World Cup is everything for me and the team,” Younis said and it was so easy to recognise the expectation in his voice.
Pakistan had to go through some tense moments in the Super Eight stage and Younis chose to reply in half-jest. “These days nothing is stable in Pakistan so how can our team be stable. This is our nature, we are slow starters but now we are in the final.”
Younis also took a dig at former leg-spinner and chief selector Abdul Qadir, who slammed Pakistan for playing shoddy cricket. “He has criticised two players – myself and Shoaib Malik. I would say if you have left the scene then do not talk about it. Our performance is there for everyone to see.”
The Mardan batsman said his team will play its natural game. “There is no special plan for the final. We just want play our natural game. I still believe T20 is an entertainment because there are no big teams like India and Australia left in the tournament.”
But he certainly knows the value of holding that trophy aloft at Lord’s on June 21.