For a fan base that dwells on little moments of glory, the progress of his tons and Pakistan turning tables has been soporific to many
The exploits did not characterise the typical Afridi-esque flamboyance
They were rather meticulously crafted by Younus, who was provided cover fire on many occasions by Azhar Ali, Misbahul Haq, Asad Shafiq and Sarfaraz Ahmed
Younus has never been a boastful anarchist
His methods have been less precarious and more pragmatic
He cajoled the Kangaroos with his amiable character
A smile here, a chuckle there and unknowingly one of the most formidable sides in the game was in tethers
He has dominated the contest so far with sheer tenacity
His heroics will be remembered for a period longer than the results of the second test and the series on whole will be
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="536"] Younus Khan hits ton as Pakistan bossed the first day
Photo: AFP[/caption] Our bowling arsenal has been missing lethal hit men like Muhammad Irfan, Junaid Khan, Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal, who over the years have ruthlessly gunned almost all sides in the game down
Novices in the international circuit like Yasir Shah, Rahat Ali, Imran Khan and Zulfiqar Babar had to fill their boots in and few believed they would be able to pull it off
Yasir and Zulfiqar’s unfamiliar combination was a glimmer of hope as their performance proved to be an ode to our magician Ajmal, who is itching to get back in the side
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="536"] Left-armer Zulfiqar Babar, who has played two Tests and has six wickets to his name, will be Pakistan’s frontline spinner in the Test squad, with uncapped Yasir Shah also making the cut
Photo: AFP[/caption] Imran’s pace averages far below the standard Pakistan cricket boasts
But with the delivery that left Michael Clarke spellbound in the first innings of the ongoing match, Imran did full justice with his name
The performance was indeed aided by the opposition’s innocuous bowling attack and the moribund pitch
But the Australians were still not able to emulate the ‘flat-track bullying’ that Pakistan carried out with bat and ball both
Imran and Rahat worked wonders with the same track that clipped Mitchell Johnson’s and Peter Siddle’s fangs
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="536"] Michael Clarke was bowled through the gap with a sharp incoming delivery by paceman Imran Khan
Photo: AFP[/caption] As I write these words, Pakistan leads by 370 runs and eight wickets in its second innings
The unflappable Younus and his apprentice Azhar are still batting Australia out
No matter what the result comes out as, Pakistan deserves all the adulation
Amidst the test of time, Sarfaraz is on the verge of dethroning the Akmals from behind the stumps
Shafiq and Azhar are gaining momentum and well on their way to shoulder the responsibilities of our middle order for years to come
Pakistan continues to produce exuberant bowlers
Above all, Misbah looks happy
Our unsung hero is smiling even after Afridi bit into his wounds when a cricket ball wasn’t around
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="540"] Sarfraz Ahmed tucks the ball off his toes, Pakistan v Australia, 2nd Test, Abu Dhabi, 2nd day, October 31, 2014
Photo: AFP[/caption] The only concern at this point is the average age of our frontmen
At a time when the world is shunning conventional cricket, our boys proved that despite playing in exile, Pakistan cricket is still viable
They may be inconsistent with both winning and losing but they give us hope
As prudent as the statement can be, Pakistan, without doubt, completes world cricket
| Date: | 03-Nov-2014 | Reference: | View Original Link |
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