Veteran Pakistan batsman Younis Khan, who has earned countless titles over a span of 16 years in both international and domestic arenas, has revealed that it was far from an easy task to make a name in Karachi with the likes of greats like Saeed Anwar, Basit Ali, Rashid Latif and Moin Khan dominating the nation's cricket.
At an event jointly hosted by the British Alumni Association Pakistan and the British Council, 'Younis Khan, An Exclusive Discussion' the veteran cricketer revealed all about his on and off the field, with special emphasis on his initial foray into the highly competitive sport of cricket.
Younis claimed that it was far from an easy task to make a name in Karachi under Anwar, Ali, Latif and Moin's dominance, but, undeterred, the prolific batsman moved to Peshawar, where his domestic career took off in earnest.
Recalling his first experience against an international side, Younis touched upon the pressure of facing Sri Lanka while playing for Pakistan A. He revealed the first match's ordeal where the hosts were bowled out for just 39 runs after being asked to bat first on a moisture-laden pitch.
He recalled that this was the point where his 'resilient' facet emerged, as instead of taking the embarrassing defeat to heart, he took it in his stride and went on to score 70-odd runs in the very next match.
And from then on there was no stopping the batsman, as he went on to become the only Pakistani to score a ton against all nine Test-playing nations. He credited the moral support of his friends, family and well-wishers for the amazing feat.
Younis frequently used the words 'motivation' and 'prayers' during his conversation, whether it was the reason behind the 2009 World Twenty20 win or the ability to become only the third Pakistani to score more than 8,000 Test runs.
Younis also expressed two of his utmost desires going into the 2015 World Cup: to open a series of training academies all over the country for aspiring cricketers and to live long enough to see a Pakistani crossing the 10,000 Test-run mark.
