Younis wishes his good form had come in Pakistan

Pakistan’s Younis Khan celebrates his ton in Abu Dhabi.Photo by Shoaib Anwer/ Khaleej Times

Abu Dhabi: High-scoring batsman Younis Khan on Monday wished his run of big scores had come in Pakistan where international cricket is suspended due to terrorism.

Pakistan have been forced to play international cricket on the neutral venues of UAE since terrorist attacks on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in 2009.

And Younis missed his home crowds during his sequence of big scores, notching a century in each innings in the first Test against Australia in Dubai and then racking up 213 in the second in Abu Dhabi.

He followed this with an unbeaten 100 in Pakistan’s mammoth 566-3 declared on the second day of the first Test against New Zealand.

By close New Zealand had reached 15 without loss, still needing 352 to avoid follow-on.

Younis said he missed home fans.

“It would have been fantastic had all this happened in Pakistan before my own people,” said an emotional Younis.

“It’s always a good feeling playing before your home crowd as I did in 2004 against India, then in the next two years so I wish it could happen again in Pakistan before my own people.”

Younis hoped teams like India, Australia and England come to Pakistan again.

“I wish teams like India, Australia and England come to Pakistan, our people are able to watch the game again and we are doing efforts to bring the game back to Pakistan and I am sure it will happen,” said Younis.

Younis said he was considering retirement after he was dropped from the one-day series against Australia before the Tests.

“I was considering retirement but my family and friends backed me to go out and now everyday I wake up I say to myself in the mirror that I have a match with myself and can I do it again,” said Younis of his prolific form.

“It’s all about motivation and after we lost the one-day series to Australia (3-0 last month) I promised to myself to score big,” said Younis, who also praised batting coach Grant Flower.

“He (Grant) works from morning to evening, tough hard work and he doesn’t force me but motivates me and that has worked,” said Younis of the former Zimbabwe opener, now Pakistan’s batting coach.