Statistically, Younis is one of Pakistan's best ever batsmen. Everybody who scoffed at his heroics at Kolkata needs to remember that Pakistan have an abysmal record of saving a Test match on the final day. Far more illustrious Pakistan batting line-ups than this one have flopped miserably in less trying circumstances.

Yet Younis has never managed to capture the broad acclaim to match that of the people he rubs shoulders with in the records table. Some of this reluctance is down to Younis's unpredictability, although he is increasingly reliable. Some of it is down to juvenile mockery of his bottom-slapping technique of player motivation.

Much of this ambivalence, however, is entirely explained by his bizarre relationship with the Pakistan captaincy. The first refusal could be explained by principle. The second explained by emotion. Many Pakistan fans have been exasperated by these decisions. How could somebody refuse the national leadership role? This third hesitation will eradicate any sympathy for Younis's stance. The question is a simple one: What matters more to Younis, his pride or the opportunity to rescue this Test series for his country?

Let it go, Captain Khan. Your pride infuses your play but your pride is also diffusing your senses. The best answer to people in the squad or in the PCB who might undermine you is to show them what you are capable of on the field. That is where you win the argument, not in press conferences, syndicated columns, or air-conditioned boardrooms.

A Pakistan team with its third captain of the series will be a limp challenger to India's dominance.

What you have written is absolutely wonderful Kamran Abbasi. One of the best pieces ever I would say and on this occasion I have to say I agree every word of it.

I was quite shocked as well to read about it earlier on Cricinfo but was hoping it’s just a rumour. Younis no doubt has a wonderful match temperament but his stubbornness if he persists with it this time is going to damage him in a big way. It seems it’s difficult for him to find a balance between stubbornness and churlishness.

I think its time for PCB to let captain khan be. Let him just concentrate on his batting and fielding. They should forget making him the vice-captain, his heart and mind are simply not in it. It just causes embarrassment everytime him and captaincy are spoken in the same breath. I was surprised he was actually made Malik's deputy despite turning the post down on more than one occasion.

In the short term Yousuf should step in since he has experienece and the last time he led Pakistan against Australia, he scored a magnificant hundred. However, media reports have suggested he too is reluctant in which case Misbah would seem the appropriate choice for Saturday and to replace Younis Khan as vice-captain in the long term. Misbah is mentally very strong and in the words of Shastri he has "nerves of steel". This guy looks as if he has been playing test cricket for as long as Inzamam and Tendulkar. He has exceeded all expectation and looks like the real deal. He is phyically fitter than anyone in the team. Finally, he is a MBA graduate and has good English speaking skills - at least we will be able to understand him at the post-match presentation.

Awesome news, lets face it Pakistan team are never gonna be a professional outfit, so at least we got a
good bit of controversy to keep interest alive.

So respect to Younis for that. I think it would be even better for the entertainment value if Shoaib Akhtar was made Test captain and Afridi one-day captain.

With Javed Miandad as batting coach, Sarfaraz Nawaz as bowling coach.The fiery Abdul Qadir as spin coach and the uncompromising Rashid Latif as
fielding coach.

A Pakistan side without controversies is quite bland, dull. So thanks to Younis for getting the ball rolling.

Younis Khan has been an enigmatic character in Pakistan cricket, much like how Euceph Ahmed has been an enigma on Pakspin. Statistics in my opinion are like straws which dying men clutch to make or reinforce a point. I am not a huge fan of stats since I feel they do not reveal the entire picture. Statistically Younis has indeed been one of the best Pakistani batsmen. However I suppose we will find it hard to rely on stats to unearth how reckless or irresponsible Younis’s batting has been for much of his career. I think it was Navjot Singh Sidhu who once said that, “"Statistics are like bikinis… what they reveal is suggestive, what they hide is essential!"
I once mentioned that Younis can be a greater batsman than Miandad if he applies himself more at the crease and I am certain some individuals must have laughed at this assertion. Performance against the two best bowling teams of the era is in my opinion the most significant criterion for judging a batsman’s class. Younis (in Tests) averages 32 against Australia and 44 against South Africa, which is much better than Inzamam or Yousuf’s performance against these two teams (Inzamam averaging 31 and 32, Yousuf only averaging 30 against both sides!) That is the reason why I am so frustrated with Younis- he has the talent to become the greatest batsman in the history of Pakistan but he has this recurring propensity to throw his wicket away in crucial situations playing horrible and senseless shots. He did that only recently in the first innings in Kolkata.
I also think that Younis cares more about his pride than the betterment of the team or the country. I don’t see how Mr Abbasi can call him “increasingly reliable” when he has already refused captaincy in crisis twice and may well do it for the third time now, as well. If what I am saying here is wrong, can someone tell me why Younis usually only ends up playing a spectacular knock when he receives plentiful criticism (and in the past when his inclusion in the team is on the line?). Why does he have such a poor record of playing marathon innings under pressure (I classify this Kolkata century as a rare exception)? We all saw how he brought up his century in Kolkata- by playing a very risky reverse sweep. That shot tells you about his mentality- he is unpredictable, impulsive and will take strange risks in those situations that warrant extreme care. Despite having an average of nearly 50 why is Younis not compared with Inzamam (who averages just under 50) and why has his batting been so inconsistent? The Pakistan cricket team will never become a top team unless its players place the wishes of the fans and the betterment of the team above their egos and selfish interests

Well I partly agree with you that it is a great honour to lead ones country out of cricket field and thats where Younis is the best. But at the same time you have to provide him with the best lot of players, a degree of independence to make his decision so he can me held liable for them.

You have to look it from his viewpoint, Younis wants the control that he needs to get the best out of the team and if it not provided to him then their is not other way or in other words "Its my way or highway" so it seems as long as Younis is not allowed to have the freedom that is requries he is not going to take up the job and no offence but shoaib mailk is not the rite guy to lead pakistan at this stage he should have been allowed to grow under Younis Khan but at this stage we can't see him staying in the team for long the way he is play.

As team pakistan needs stable and respected leader who position in the team is not questionable. He is sort of person paksitan team needs to get 110% out of the boys and lead by example. He is proved more the once he can do that in the future as well.

With the cricket team in shambles on the verge of a make or break test, where is the PCB chief? In Capitol Hill, Washington DC.Is there any accountability? A full time paid Chairman of the PCB indulging in politics at the cost of his primary work? Or may be he has finally realized the best way he can serve cricket is by staying away from it. I wouldn't disagree with that, except that he should make this dissociation official.

So Abbasi will understand the importance of prayers in keeping the team together (Earlier coach's commented the same). But poor Inzimam was targeted for overdose of religion.

Mr Kamran Abbasi, why do not you write about pathetic nature of PCB. I once criticized PCB harshly on Faisal Iqbal, and my comment appeared with editions. I think Younis Khan has prove again and again that he is captain and a leader. Even when he was stand in for Inzi, he took better and bolder decisions than Inzi. PCB does not like aggressive independent captains!

You are 100% correct in everything you say Mr. Abassi. In my opinion, neither Yousef or Younis should be captain. I think it should be Misbah-Ul-Haq, he is very well educated, double math major with a physics minor. Education i think is the key to success, he will be a good captain, and he will be able to think strategically, and more logically then most other uneducated captains. Kudos on the article though, very well written!

Mr. Khan is man of character. He doesn’t want to be a dummy captain. In my view what he is doing he is doing right so once board is not realizing how to handle senior player issues. Malik is a good player but in test arena his position in test 11 is still a question mark. Board is happy with the week captain but team needs a leader who can take decision on its own. It’s not a football or any other game where coaches shouting for the plan but this a game of character where u can lead your team with a prime character like in the past other khan did. Board must realize this situation and support yunus. Mr. Khan keeps it up its khan pride.

I personally believe that Younis Khan is overrated as a batsman, as well as leader. Somehow, it is taken as conventional wisdom that Younis is the miraculous answer to Pakistan's captaincy problems... he has certainly done very little to deserve this confidence. A true leader does not turn away from responsibility whenever it is thrust upon him... Lets take the opposition for example; by all accounts Anil Kumble should have been made captain much earlier. It would be understandable if he had held a grudge after being overlooked for so long, and even now being a second choice (after Tendulkar). However, being the selfless champ that he is, Kumble has just taken the captaincy in his stride, and is doing well so far. Hopefully, our Younis will have enough sense not to create another crisis ( as in Pakistan cricket needs it) and to shut up and play.

i appreciate your thoughts KAMRAN but the reality is far from yours. The question i would like to ask you is that what is the meaning of captain if he is not involved the decisionmaking process let alone to choose the 11 players on the field? i reckon YOUNIS is right and what he said is totally justified. He does not like to be a DUMMY Captain and he'll never be. Hats off Younis and we appreciate your good decision. Kamran Abbasi seems to have been pleased by some other issues in PCB.

Im a indian. i always liked the pakistani team in the 90s. I always noticed one thing bout the pakistani teams in the past, they have a lot of egos, it shows in the way they play the game. Mind you, indians are egoist as well, but lesser in extend. As far as the pakistani captaincy goes, i really belive mohd. yousuf should get the job, shoaib malik is solid but hes shown weakness in crunch situations, you really need a expierenced campaigner. Yousuf is a handy middle order player that will get you out of any situation, one thing i really love about pakistani batsmen is that they love playing their shots, and they are very versatile batsmen, yes they make mistakes at times with their shot selection but you cant really blame them for a few bad shots. I belive Malik should be nurtured he has a sharp mind. Malik should be the vice captain in both forms of the game and yousuf as the captain. I think its the fear that is bothering younis, but the ego or pride, hes scared of all the extra expectations a captaincy brings, the extra burdens, the cricket crazy pakistani fans, he feels his batting will dip.

Younis Khan needs to learn that we don't live in a perfect world.There is no doubt that he is a best batsman in Pakistan's side but this is an emergency rescue for Pakistan not a series where he is appointed officially as a captain. His temperament is more hampering Pakistan's rescue mission in India then to help Pakistan level the series.I think that the team management should go with M.Yousuf or Misbah as a stand by captain as compare to the person whose Pride is bigger than saving the reputation of his country specially in India.Younis doesn't believe in go with the flow theory of Management, he is asking for a player who is not even in India right now(Abdul-Rauf), a good captain is the one who lead his bad side and turn them into a victorious side like Imran Khan has done in 1992 WC.

Thanks

As he was made the V Captain for the 3rd time it meant he should be leading the side in the absence of captain, he should have understood this Or he'll be future captain this is so plain on papers or by word of mouth, I for one fail to understand why did he took up the job in the 1st place. This looked a good choice if he understood he will be leading the team one day but its the same old tentative situation Pak team finds itself in. The ideal choice should have been Yousuf the Captain not Malik i guess.

I hope the news is nothing but Indian media fluff. But Younis's pride has proven him to be an idiot before so it might actually be true. Malik wasn't ready to be captain, it was Younis's destiny to be captain but he turned it down, now what it is just one test, do it for your country.

I just with Younus reads the last few lines of the article today. Can somebody be kind enough to farward that to him so that he goes for a toss tomorrow morning?

Nice post Kamran. Well Younis is a capable bat and has shown that he has the mettle to lead the side. The main thing to remember is that no captain in the worls gets a side of his bidding every time. Controversies or rather disagreements are always going to be there but these issues are much better left behind in the boardroom than the captain figure ranting about it in newspaper articles and press conferences.

Secondly, PCB appointed Younis vice captain and removed Yousuf from the same post ealier. PCB and the buffoons who are in charge look to Yousuf as a reserve option whenever Younis, Inzamam or Malik (in this case) is not available to lead the side. And no man with some pride will willingly be the third and final reserve option every time.

One logical option that PCB should consider is to appoint Misbah, if they believe he is going to perform a high level for the next two or three years, as the vice captain. Maybe two or three years down the line they will find a youngster, with good personnel skills and great temperament, that they can slowly bring along to replace Misbah.

This has become a joke and I think we only have PCB to blame for it. To begin with, I was shocked that the Pakistani board even thought of making him the vice-captain for the Indian tour. I guess they haven't learnt their lesson after they way Younis rejected captaincy after the 2007 World Cup. Even if he the best captain in the world, no board should tolerate this kind of behavior. And this has left Pakistan with most likely having three different captains in three tests of the same series. This must be ridiculous even by Pakistani Cricket team standards.

Mr. Khan happens to be the most unreliable batsman Pakistan ever had time and again he let down the team for his stupid pride.He is uncultured have no sense of national pride and he is selfish he plays only for himself if you ask me he should be fired from the team and let some promising younger player take his place .

Yes Abbasi you are right in many ways, but i will disagree you only in a way that if the captain is held responsible for the team's performance in the ground then he should also be given the right to choose the team of his choice. Furthermore this is not the first time Younis has done the job for his country, who can forget his effort against south africa in one of the test match where he single handedly won the match for the pakistan. I think if some one is so capable of performing the things for his country then he should be given the due respect that he deserves.
In the end I think PCB should be considered more responsible for such kinds of things rather than anyone else.

well kamran wat u ve written is v rite but wat i feel is that board official are still playing there cheeky terms and they try to promote lobby system.kindly let the players and the captain wether it z a standing or activ captain to decide wat type of players they want so that they can easily tumle with them.

Younis would be the best captain for the current Pakistan team. He has all the qualities of a leader and he leads by example. It is unfortunate that he feels so demoralized by various factors. Someone like Imran Khan should talk to him and give him the needed pat. If there is anyone who can bring back the Pakistan cricket to its glory level today, it is undoubtedly Younis Khan. If he was playing for India, he would be a reliable hero by now.

Younis Khan has repeatedly said that he doesnt want to be a dummy captain . He knows, we know and even PCB know that at this moment Younis Khan is the best choice to lead the team, But they made shoiab Malik the captain instead.WHY??? Just because Malik is a dummy captain and thats what PCB want . A DUMMY Captain...Someone who would always say JEE HUZOOR to them.
What does younis Khan want.?????? Captaincy with Authority , Like Imran Khan...like Inzi..Fair enough..give him what he wants and then see if he gives the results.. IF he does ..good for pak cricket..if he doesnt, KICK HIM OUT.
You let him know just before the game that he is going to be the captain..and this is the team (NON PLAYING CAPTAIN PICKED) he is going to lead and he doesn't get to say anything about the team , You give him half fit team and expect him to do well ???? i doubt it.
Younis should be made the captain , i would say enforce the captaincy on him. tell him be the captain and dont be at all.

Younis does need to stop thinking he's bigger than the team. If Pakistan requires him to lead, he should do it. Drawing this series is much more important than hurt pride on Younis's part.

No player is greater than cricket. It so sad he keeps refusing to be captain irrespective of being vice-captain. Whatever reasons he is giving are funny. PCB should take action against him for doing this drama.

As usual Kamran Abbasi you are clearly and utterly wrong once again on a major cricketing issue hitting the headlines in Pakistan.
Younis Khan has done absolutely the right thing in refusing the puppet captaincy handed to him. He should as Captain either get the team he is most comfortable playing with or there is no use in making him Captain.
It is sensationalists like you who will be after his hide if the Pakistan team ends up losing the Banglore Test. Since it is his neck on the line and not Naseem Ashraf or the selection committee's, he should have the full authority to chose whomever he wants to play and if the board is unreasonable enough not to understand this well they can very well find another Captain, thank you very much.

The situation definitely demands that he should lead the side but he is not the alone culprit of this situation. Why is that pakistan cricket board officials are always the main problem but they escape from any sort of punishment. When Waqar Younis episode had taken place, it was purely pcb's fault. Salim Altaf could not present any logic against Waqar Younis questions on private channel show.

Now if team captain has asked for a player, that should have been fullfilled. Full Stop

I also feel for Abdur Rauf. I remember Waqar Younis asked management in pakistan for him as replacement when Wasim/Shoaib got injured against South Africa in 2002/2003 tour. However,the pcb then blocked captain wishes & sent Fazl-e-Akbar.

Ashaq said; "I think it would be even better for the entertainment value if Shoaib Akhtar was made Test captain and Afridi one-day captain.

With Javed Miandad as batting coach, Sarfaraz Nawaz as bowling coach.The fiery Abdul Qadir as spin coach and the uncompromising Rashid Latif as
fielding coach."
Oh man gr8 suggestion that would be really gr8 fun LOLZ.

but jokes apart, i think younis can be a very good captain. he has da confidence in his abilities and he wants to dictate the terms. let him give the power and no once can deny he'll always be accountable in pcb as well as general court. he wants to prove a point, he is a real team man.

no one deny da fact, younis is one of the least naturally talented batsman as compared to greats of the world, be it inzi, ponting, tendulkar, lara, miandad, or yousuf, but it's his sheer hardwork and detremination which has got in the leage of extra-ordinary gentlemen. and i am sure he will definitely write the new rules and explore the new horizons of capataincy.

so give him the power and keep ur fingers crossed. he will be definitely better than the rubber stamp(Malik)

Well no matter what anyone says or how many times Younis denies captiancy. I think pakistan team needs an agressive captian and Shoaib Akhtar should be the one to consider for this postion for a change. Everyone else is just scuking up to each other and Shoaib malik is just too soft to be leading the team. Keeping in mind Shoaib refused indian league offer because he wanted to serve his own country and never mind what media and anyone says about him. Everyone does things in their personal life and most of them are straight lucky to get away with it.

No body knows who came second to Carl Lewis in 1996 Olympics. If people want to be second best they would always remain second best. Tennis number 1 is Roger Federer but who knows who is number 2 in Tennis for men.

The issue is the psychology around us. We are never persistant thats why we are called unpredictable. We would never strive for anything until we know that we have a full backing of people around you. We are not culturally risk takers.

If Younis would like to be on the top, I don't think anybody would let him take this position but I will not blame Younis for it. I think the responsbility lies with Pakistan Cricket Board. They probably had never let Younis felt of the captaincy. You should be grooming your future captains not dumping them as a captain for here and there.

We had never set up the goal or where we would like to be. Look at Australia, when the captaincy question was raised after Steve Waugh was retired, they chosen Ricky Ponting and leaving Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne not having a sniff of this prime position. Like wise recently, they hve chosen Michael Clark over Gilchrist in their next 20/20 against NewZealand.

It is a fact this this situation is going to get worst. I think PCB should hire a psychologist with Geoff Lawson to start preparing for the future captain.

Why we can't let the democracy survive in our country when our neighbour with 52 provices could do it over a lenght of time. This is all psychology and moral. We just don't want to be number 1. Why??

Its easy to blame and pick on players. I think its the board who is being unreasonable by inerfering too much.

utterly disgraceful ... if this is true he needs to be dropped from the team immediately ... a distraction and disgrace to the entire team ... every time he as acted stupidly ... if he plays well and people idolize him then why is he surprised when fans hate him when he plays stupid shots which result in pakistans downfall against ireland ... if he wants to control the team as an in command captain then he should have taken captaincy when handed to him .... if he doesnt want to be a stand-in he should have refused vice-captaincy ... he will never be respected by anyone after this and needs to be dropped now ... it will hurt the batting but the unified team will be better

Make Misbah the next captain.Good idea, but the only problem is Malik and Misbah would not get along well, as is the usual case in Pakistani team. With Misbah already performing well and Malik just a utility player,there will be a split.

I think Younis is right in doing whatever he is doing right now. Think from Younis' position Mr. Abbasi. Somebody selects a team and the captain, and god knows might even set the field position from outside. And what they need is a namesake captain. And Younis has the right to say, why me?. you can even do this with Tanvir. He is not a dummy and doesn't want to be one. Is there anything wrong in it. Pakistan team sure is in a crisis, but then, when was it not? The way younis is enjoying his game in the recent times, it is not good for pakistan team and cricket in general to make him do something that he is not interested in. PCB is giving him only the captaincy and not the responsibility associated with it and he sure has the right to reject it and we sure dont have the right to question it.

bravo "I am agree(khansahab)", bravo!
I like Younus Khan since the start of his career and I think I am one of those fans who will like him irrespective of what he does. Still he has too much pride meaning thinking more about himself than the team. I dont know what was he trying to prove by that reverse sweep in Kolkata (the one that brought his 100), he had plenty of time left in the game to bring up is 100 but by playing that shot he risked his wicket, the match and the series ... so you see he is a good batsman but still not reliable.

With every match I have an increasing admiration for Younis Khan. With meagre resources, and a bland pitch, Younis did manage to draw with an innings of marvel. I have always rated him as a great player, a great thinker and a very shrewd strategist on the field for the few times he led.
My entire sympathies with Younis Bhai, it is for the sheer love of the game is playing, else given the high level of low grade politics in Pakistan Cricket, he would have left the game once and for all. And that would have been a great loss to the Cricketing world. No surprise, he was the choice leader for the late Bob.
And I am sure, he can lead Pakistan cricket to great heights, if he is understood by the PCB.
I am a great fan of Younis after Inzy Bhai.
Ramamurthy

I think it's time to make hard decisions.
Shoaib Malik is a long way away from becoming a good Test captain.I think Experience is the single most important factor in it.
He should remain the ODI captain although.
Younis has refused captaincy twice.He wants more powers and authority which wont come with this PCB administration.Therefore,making him vice or full captain doesnt serve any purpose.
I think Yousuf should be made captain but not only for 1 game but for future as well.He had shown his interest in the job in the past,has got a cool head and is reliable.How would he perform remains to be seen but its worth giving a shot.
Misbah is looking good but he needs more time.
Making him captain would be the same mistake as that of making salman butt vc.
One thing I am sure pak team like the whole nation is in a deep pit.

Younis Khan without a doubt is the best candidate for Pakistan's captaincy and I simply can't understand why he always refuses to lead the country. I would 100% agree with Kamran that national pride and honor should always be above and beyond personal pride. Pakistan cricket is in such a fragile state that it need a captain for long term who could lead from the front, and nobody can do it better than Younis. He's like Ricky Ponting, fearless and always the player the team can depend on. But if his ego is bigger than the love for his country, then he will lose the respect of his fans. Misbah is also a very good candidate, and so is Shoaib Akhtar; but I would still hope that Younis stays Pakistan's captain for a long time.

I am very disappointed by this article. Here is a man who by his actions is trying to tell the PCB that they should mend their ways. He is not hungry for the Pakistan Captaincy, at least he wants to have it on his own terms.

Lets assume he becomes the captain, he wins the test, everybody hails him, but nothing is learned. It should be PCB who should learn, and at least the press should start pointing out the outrageous actions of PCB. We as Pakistanis are so short sighted, all we care about are the short term goals. If PCB wants to draw the test then let Younis be the captain on his terms.

Anyway I totally disagree with "I am agree(khansahab)". The points raised are very objective and only look at one side of the coin. Younis is in the league of Steve Waugh, not very technically proficient or naturally gifted yet its his mental abilities are far superior than both Inzi and Yousaf. He knows his stuff very well but he is not superman guaranteed to succeed all the time. Sometimes bad shot selection happens. Are you going start ridiculing Tendulkar who hasn't been able to reach his century in one days??

And do you guys think that if Younis becomes the captain everything will fall into places and we will become the best team as soon as he accepts the captaincy. The pak team is playing cricket on daily basis with no planning for tomorrow, its mighty time that some concrete steps are taken.

Hmmm...
I am not agreed with khans letter because this is not fair with younis and other team members its a totally cricket politics..whats going on why you select shoib malik for pakistan team captain...He is basically actually a spin bowler but after captancy he doesn't bowl why????? its no doubt that malik is best allrounder and also keep a good role in pakistan winnings but he has not totally mature for captaincy after Inzamam i think younis play as a captain and shoib malik as VC because younis khan is the Statistically Younis has indeed been one of the best Pakistani batsmen and i hope he is a best for pakistan team if team support him otherwise one man nothing do well..
now iwant to few suggestion according to my opinion if pakistani team give chance to show the shoib Akhtar as a pakistani team Captain and Shahid khan afridi as a vice captain i think both is a back bone of pakistani team... plz think out it Mr. khan its better decision for pakistan team.. thanx

Kamran,
You are one of the few columnist i ever admired.But in the case of Captain Khan, as u called,you are wrong.He saved Kolkatta test on his own,you may Mishabs and Akmals forst innigs is significant, may be thats rt.But in playing in fourth innig under tremendous pressure is some thng special.
All u r comments about his refusal to capaintancy and his pride are true.I do agree country comes first but for me with out pride i can not do justice to country and that is true in case of Younise.He is out standing batsman and great fighter(i cant believe i am saying this being an Indian but thats true),a fighter always wants to fight in his own terms.And that fighter will take a applauds and blame on his stride when he fought on his ownt terms.But when some one else made decisons and ask a fighter to follow them, sorry, ture fighter never take it.
If you want best then respect u r best weapon if not leave him alone and do u r work, result, we already knew,nothing happenned great after Imran Khan. Imran achieved every thing for Pakhistan because he able to choose his armay on his own and won lauds for his country.
Younise is same as Imran.If u dont want him then just dont ask him to lead and blame him for his own pride.
Younise, u r one of very few who stood for them selfs than prestiage. You go man,u didnt do any thing wrong and u justified with your bat than words!

Dear Readers, 07.12.2007
This is further to my earlier comments.
Please do not criticize Younis Khan. Let him lead the team, if he desires, else allow him to continue as a player. We need his cricket. Thank him for leading the side in Kolkatta and the wonderful innings under trying circumstances.
Ramamurthy

I have to disagree with you Kamran. I think this whole episode should not have been made public but I feel that in order to be successfull, the captain needs to have full control over selection and decision making on the field. Cricket is different from many other sports like baseball, football or basketball where coaches or managers make the decisions at crunch time. In cricket, the captains who enjoyed more success were stubborn (Imran Khan) and dictators of sort (Imran, Border, Loyed, etc.). We shouldn't just dismiss Younis's demand for more control over selection and decisions on the field as him being selfish and putting personal pride ahead of teams best interest. If all the decisions are made for him by others and he is only left to take the abuse/critisism after the loss, it will be unfair to be critical of Younis for standing up for himself.
I say good job Younis for taking a principled stand but all this should not have been made public. After all, Pakistan team has been facing one controvercy after another for the last two years or so.
There is no doubt in his abilities but before we make the comparisons with Miandad, he will have to improve in some parts of his game. Miandad was like a rock when team was faced by testing times (which happened to be the norm in those days). Younis showed that same poise on a few occassions, like in bangalore on the last tour of India. I am not so sure how much he can improve at age 30 but he will surely leave behind great stats when all is said and done. He is no Miandad however.

I completely agree. In South Asia, with the amount of politics in just about every walk of life, Younis Khan should not be expecting ideal conditions in cricket. He should take what he has, and do his best for the country (whether or not the country shows him gratitude), rather than complain about not having enough power.

Younis khan is a confused man and confusing others too. When he was offered the captaincy he
turned it down but when offered the vice captaincy for this tour he accepted it. Now in the middle of the tour he is reluctant to lead the side when the captain is sidelined by injury.

I think it is beyond anybody's guess what is in his mind !

hey everybody....why younus all the time say power power ... i m not the team member but i know all the critical situation before 2nd test by newspapers and through internet.. and I knew Malik was unfit ... so why he said that i did'nt know malik will play or not ...this is totally stupidity of Younus n called bachpana.This is totally disgusting attitude of younus Khan

GREAT ARTICLE BRO!!!
TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU! although am not a big fan of younis khan but at this time he should lead the team....generally speaking my choice of captain is MY BOY AFRIDI!!..we need someone of his aggressive nature..i thought malik was a good choice but am not impressed with his defensive mind set..

I surpise even myself by saying this, i agree !
Younis khan needs to get of his high horse and get on with the job, he shouldnt have accepted the post of vice captaincy if he couldnt accept the secondary nature of the role.

If he expects the captain and coach to simply disappear just because he is captain for one of match that isnt possible!
as for rameez raja's comments that misbah should be captain well i must say mr. rameez you`ve totally lost it. I was never in favor of shoaib as captain simply becaus eof inexperience, but now that he is the captain, we need to support him so that he learns. No one is a born leader, example of wasim's first stint, tendulkar's dismal performance, and Smiths early year is a big example!

Great piece Mr. Abbassi, very well written. I have to say that if there is truth in these rumours than I am definitely annoyed with Younis. Not just because the situation calls for him to put his grievances aside and try to get Pakistan out of this crisis situation but also because his demands as a captain (and a stand-in one at that are quite unreasonable). I don't think that captains around the world get to dictate to the selectors the way Mr. Younis Khan wishes to. The captain and coach need to be involved with the selection but the final say has to be with the selectors; which in the case of Pakistan leads to a whole new plethora of problems but that is a debate for another day.

Younis khan is a disgrace to pakistan team and his pride and ego is beyond limits. The man thinks of himself as Something and not worry about the country. As JFK once said "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country".Younis khan is what he is today because of pakistan cz if for instance if he was in Aus he wouldnt have been dumped like any other player a long time ago. And i think Younis khan is the most over-rated player pakistan has ever had contrary to this article. He always gets out playing weird and spooky strokes(eg first innings at calcutta sic). I think pakistan should at least drop him from the ODIs where he is miserable and 2020's. If he wants to stay in the tests he has to show that he wins pakistan matches(inzi) not some wane efforts in the 4th innings where the match is usually a dead rubber.
I always thought afridi could be a better captain than malik and younis in the ODis while Misbah for tests. With Afridi he can be a sort of captain like imran khan was agressive and who really came hard on his players to get the results outta them not some sissyy players like malik who his brother said wouldnt say anything when elderly are talking , well too bad for him cz there are bunch of players older than him and he is just too scare to have a talk.

On he contrary to what you're sugesting - Kamran -I believe that such is the best time to expose the mockeries of PCB and selectors. It is high time that they shoud be taken to the task by the public infuriated by a defeat that should come out of such display of Official autocracy where a Captain or even Coach is rendered a bystander when it matters the most. Younas for tha matter has shown the guts to protest at the right time. If he keeps quiet at such times and the match is saved or won, the idiots at the board also get vindicated by the results. They should also be accountable for the expenses they icurred by taken the whole herd of oficials to watch the matches and also expensed that go waste by flying players in late where they just add to one more spectator.

If Younus really did what rumors are suggesting, he is my hero. Losing one test or a series even to India is not a big prie to epose the follies of such a soulless bunch of Thugs that we associate as PCB Officials.

I have to say that only egoists have egoistic issues and egocentric people don't like to see or accept the existence of an ego in others because, for them their own inflated ego appears to be in danger. Hence they try to make meaningless points, sometimes they use statistics to validate their point, sometimes they use it like a Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini sort of point. To say that Younus Khan is very egoistic or he plays only for his own pride, vanity and for personal gains more than for the betterment of the country is like seeing the world through a blinder. I have said this before, he is not my favourite player, but that guy has 15 test hundreds to his name an average of 50 plus and people talk and praise about consistency in Malik's batting? Malik has only one test hundred to his name and an average of 35 runs, and he is more consistent? And, the irony is, I don't know anything about cricket! I have always emphasized the need for an ego in every single person because, without an ego we are just a deflated football. Ego also means one's self-esteem, it also means an inflated sense of self-worth. In philosophical terms, it is simply being "one's self." It is a set of psychic functions such as judgment, tolerance, reality-testing, control, planning, defense, aggression, synthesis of information, intellectual functioning etc.

If a person's mentality can only be judged by a shot he plays then with every single shot he plays he can change the perception of the perceiver about his mentality. Malik being the captain of the team since WC twenty20 has played irresponsible shots not once but 4 times, he jumped out of the crease needlessly to get clean bowled or stumped. I guess, love is blind and his so-called youthfulness or his baby looks covers his follies and even his blunders. I remember reading Osman Samiuddin's article on Mohammad Yousuf, when he came at the crease to give a hat-trick to Irfan Pathan in the Karachi test in January 2006. Salman Butt was out for a duck giving a catch to Dravid in the slips and next to go was Younus Khan lbw but, Mohammad Yousuf was clean bowled by Pathan and Osman Samiuddin was quick to criticize Yousuf for playing such a reckless and irresponsible shot that according to him made everyone ashamed of Yousuf's batting. But, Yousuf made 97 in the second innings and during the same year he started piling up tons after tons and Mr Samiuddin's perception changed and he later acknowledged that Yousuf made him chew his words. Perception is dynamic and it depends on both, the psychological and physiological characteristics of the perceiver, in addition to the nature of the stimuli which is causing a response to the action. But, to be judgmental and being fixed with a notion is like obstinately pertinacious for no reason. I believe in forgiveness but, I am not forgetful.

I fully agree with Younis Khan.Firstly how can shoib malik leads Pakistan,he isn't good enough to make it the first 11.

If you want Younis to lead ,you have to bestow to him all the power of a real captain,the selectors be damned.
The greatest captain pakistan has ever produced has been Imran Khan,and The best team in the world at the moment is australia led by Ricky Ponting. Both of them are outstanding, strong leaders,and but of them were the best player of their respective teams

But just why do we need Younus as a captain? Imran khan is not always right .His thoughts on Mohammad Sami made PCB play Sami 30 test matches for no good. And now Younus is our second choice captain because Imran stated so. He is a fine fine player, but he is no captaincy material I am afraid. He has one problem too many with teammates to lead the side. A reluctant skipper won’t serve the cause anyway. Although, it is a different issue that our original skipper, Malik doesn’t even deserve a spot in the test side. Being apparently active on the field does not necessarily make the recipe for a good captain. Inzi was quite but effective!!! But Younus ain’t the same. I believe, Misbah or Yousuf should do this job instead of an ever reluctant Younus.

Shoaib is proving to be the wrong choice as a captain. It is not too late even now to let Younis Khan lead the Pakistani team with example but ofcourse he needs to be given more say in matters of team selection and should get the replacements he is askng for.

When Younis declined the Captaincy, when Inzimam retired mid this year, that should have been the last straw. PCB should have acted there and then and put it into their 'future planning'(...if there is one)that this man is not willing to lead, hence lets let him be and find someone we can groom and count on. I know a genuine lack of options led the PCB to revert back to Younis for a third time, however Younis declining to lead his country is indeed mind boggling but I firmly believe leaders are born not made and certainly not forced.

Mainly, the decision of Shaid Afridi to drop him from test has affected the team. He is a sort of player who can bowl, bat and do to change the test match. moreover, akthar should not have played in calcutta test. he was unwell and some other bowler had to play. younis is a sort of batsman who can change a test match, he needs support from lot of players and board. shoib malik is a soft captain. Youni should continue and there are chances of levelling the series. It has been done by pakistanis and hope some good test match is played.

When I met Younis first time ever..I found him frenzied for Cricket and extremely obcessed. He was simple.. but Thats the story of the time when he was just considered for highest level cricket first time ever i-e somewhere in 1997/98. And as I see through media hes got some Thing which wasn't there at all and its is quite perceptive too. Question is 'theres no question of any kind of panic for you nor there is any trauma anymore except for the performance and fitness of our team, why would you deprive yourself from this Crown?.' The nation is with you, your successs and performance odds against India are higher and you chose to be a loser. If he is leading now he is brave otherwise all the introductions regarding knighthood fade!!!

In defying India a win in the last test match, Pakistan cricket team has shown a glimpse of character under adverse circumstance, an event so rare in our recent cricketing history. It was incredible to watch Younis and Yousef play an anchor role in such a critical situation. If Younis does not want to be a captian, let us not force him. We must not lose a great cricketer simply because he does not wish to take up the lead management role. There are other able guys to fill this spot. Let him glamour with his bat.

I am from India and am a great fan of pakistan cricket (not when playing aganist india). I feel younus has a point, pakisthan has always performed superbly under powerful captains who had there choice in selection and there own strong stand, whats wrong if he wants to do the same. And does PCB has another choice ????? I don't see a captain in that list (not even a fully fit Malik)

Well I am with younis Khan here. Pakistan`s cricke board has been realy senseless here ( and before) many times. Look at Razaq`s asence from the series. Earlier when other bowlers were injured Razaq with his bowling and not wih his batting helped pakistan win and not too long ago. His lack of pace is lame excuse for excluding him. People who really know about cricket know that slower bowlers with more intelligent bowling and with better control of the ball can actually bowl beter then fast bowlers. Anyway if younis asks for Abdur-Rauf give him Abdur Rauf let him take the responsibility, show faith in him , trust him. If you cant please dnot ask him to be a Captain. Younis if you are listening please donot except captaincy if you were not given the combination you had in mind. Brainless cricket managers have destroyed Pakistan`s cricket. Retiring Saeed before his time,they even made Inzi go away then sheer desparation made em bring him back. Plese in the long run we need people like Younis who can stand upto branless managers .Its not the Pride of Younis thats being challenged here its the ego of the selctors. So donot be a capatain. I think shahid Afridi would have madea better choice then anyother bowlers he actually bowls better e Kaneria but just because he is an allrounder he is considered a lesser bowler. Ha. His faster spinners would have worked better at Kolkata then any other bowler who played that game. We missed his bowling there.

Shoib Malik does not have fire power. he does not have the leadership quality. So, I think Younis Khan can be a good leader for Pakistan.

Mr Abbasi im not the great fan of your coloumns. Since 06 worldcup i am reading u on and off .. people like you and rameez raja so called gurus of cricket have nothing to lose but even then your rubbish comments are messing the ideology of cricket.. have u ever played a good first class cricket match or have u been ever to cricket ground.. lol ... there are lots of people who have played international cricket but even then they dont have cricketing brain .. like rameez raja .. who are alians of the game...
plz stop writing .... and find another job to do.. plzzz

I do not blame Younis Khan for being left to pick up Shoaib Malik's inconsistent and experience-less captaincy mess, and PCB's inability to look for a true leader. One has to understand that now it require a win to draw the series given the players at hand. Therefore, no one want to take responsibility, if pakistan can't draw this series. What is at stake? The first losing captain on Indian soil after few decades, if I am not wrong. If there is anyone who don't want to go down in the history of cricket like this is, no other than Younis Khan.
Beside the current scenario... Let us look for a suitable captain. Guess what, there are none. Any solution. YES, give the captaincy to who wants the most. Let, SHAHID AFRIDI, be the captain. This guy has true instinct for being a very good ODI captain. And, Let Misbah-ul Haq be the Test captain. This guy is a genuine, stong minded, player and can be a good leader sooner than later.

Few sensible people believe, betterment is only possible by the change of system, not change of faces. Younis is among those sensible people, but sadly himself is product of this bad system. His smartness, his fight, eaglness, wit, agility & ego all represent it, despite his some poor shots in T20 final or leaving straight balls. Mistake is again by board not younis -:)

i totally agree with the article and also with what ashfaq said regarding adding some interest to pakistan's cricket.....although what i dont agree is people suggesting that younis khas is not a siensible player and throws his wicket away.....on how many occassions younis has also saved and won games for pakistan???? if you dissect sachin's stats then you would realise that he has hardly won or saved any test matches for india!!! so this criticsm on younis is absolutely futile n fruitless.

As far as the captaincy is conerned though, there is no better option then younis for pakistan's captaincy as malik seems to be a miserable and thoughtless leader, though younis might still become captain if the selection policies are less mysterious and sifarshi (what is faisal iqbal doing in the team?? asim kamal was a much better option but where is he?)

I DISAGREE

it is everybody'z right to accept or refuse captaincy,if he is not willing to lead,try someone else,and as far as relaibility is concerned,he is the most reliable of all the batsmen,you need not to go too far,just look at the last test match.So Mr.Kamran i totally disagree with you when you say that the 3rd time refusal might result in eradication of all sympathies for his stance.HE isnt in the team because of sympathies ,he is there for his performance and he i there because no one can challenge his postion in the team.

I belive there are some hidden fractures that are resisting Younis Khan to lead the side. Captain is one who is responsible for team's success and failure. So lets give him a free hand to select the team. Everybody knows pakistan has weak bowling attack at the moment. Kaneria is much praised for his less efforts also. Sami has promised never to take any wicket. Shoaib Akhtar only promises big dreams which are unrealistic. Rao Anjum is not dependable. So whats wrong if Mr. Khan wants Abdul Rauf (who is new). Lets give him a chance. Its high time for Younis to come forward and steal the things from selection and strengthen team.

younis khan best captan 4 pakitan 4ever PCB must give him a chance. his best 4 in ground henling the playes very well younis the best choice

I belive there are some hidden fractures that are resisting Younis Khan to lead the side. Captain is one who is responsible for team's success and failure. So lets give him a free hand to select the team. Everybody knows pakistan has weak bowling attack at the moment. Kaneria is much praised for his less efforts also. Sami has promised never to take any wicket. Shoaib Akhtar only promises big dreams which are unrealistic. Rao Anjum is not dependable. So whats wrong if Mr. Khan wants Abdul Rauf (who is new). Lets give him a chance. Its high time for Younis to come forward and steal the things from selection and strengthen team.

Younis should lead pakistan in Test cricket and Malik should lead in one days. Malik should be drop from test cricket.

Younis Khan is a fantastic player, my personal favourite in this Pakistan team. However, why Pakistan has to look to him time and again when he's clearly not interested beats me. For one thing, it might affect his batting by putting on him the very pressure that he wants to avoid. I'd rather have someone who's comfortable playing at the international Test level such as Misbah. He's proved in the very short time that he's played that he's a match-winner and someone who has it in him to excel in the toughest of situations. Being the captain of Pakistan requires someone who has the cool to handle the media and the weight of fans' expectations. Misbah, according to me fits the bill to a T. Shoaib Malik, if his recent performance as a captain or a player in ODIs & Tests is anything to go by, looks completely overawed by the big stage.

good analysis on younis and there are number of haters of him, although he is a cool guy. this controversy can rest now since he has denied the reports in the media. let us get to the game!

I think younus should take over the captaincy permanently for the test matches & for one day matches shahid afridi should be made the captain.
Malik should concentrate on his batting & bowling
& should be part of the one day team only.Instead
of Malik afridi should be part of both tests & one day teams.India are doing really well with two different captains & pakistan should try the same.I don't understand with pakistan's policy of
neglecting Afridi.He can be a very good captain for the one days with his very positive,aggressive
attitude & never say die approach.
For the tests younus is the perfect choice & he should be asked to lead the side for a long term.
Afridi should be the v.captain for the tests as he can give good advice to the captain & motivate the players.The problem with malik is he cannot talk to his players as he is very quiet & has a very negative approach.Also the captaincy is affecting malik's game.He is not able to score runs & is scared to bowl.It is very simple if the captaincy is a burden & affecting your game then
it is better to play as a player.Tendulkar is a perfect example.But in the case of Malik he will find a place in the tests only if he is the captain & that is the reason the patial PCB officials appointed Malik captain for one year.

well said mr.kamran but it seems you have jumped the gun and that too soon,
it is not true that he denied it third time,these are all the rumours that are being spread as a strategy!
when he was appointed a vice captain he always knew that he would be the one to take over if something happened to malik, so why should he deny it now!
and he knows he backed up his leadership with a beautiful innings and he wouldnt want to spoil that by the denail and he hasnt done that! dont know why you couldnt wait and watch!
he is leading and you will see HOW!

There is no point of staying with the team as Vice Caption and then refusing to lead the team, when caption is not fit enough to lead the team. He knows PCB’s style of management, then why did he accept this position if he is not willing to lead the team. Younis should step down for someone who has leadership qualities and willing to lead the team, so that someone can grow with the game and get mature and you can always have a standing caption, eager to fight. Younis has disappointed millions of his fans. PCB is a lab where idiots are always welcomed to make some experiments. There was no point of sending Afridi, Rao, Imran Nazir and young Sarfraz back to home. The consequences are obvious, you are short of 11 fully fit players and calling for cover couple of hours before the game starts. On top of that PCB has appointed Mr. Malik caption for test team while everybody knows that his selection for the test will never be justified. If can’t bowl and get wickets then we have better specialist batsmen waiting down the line to replace him. He might be a good one day caption, but surely test cricket is a different ball game ALL TOGETHER.

Well, it was all a rumour and nothing more than that. Maybe there was something going on inside but the official news now is that this reluctancy of leading the side from Younis Khan was nothing more than a rumour.

@ Khansahab
You really are an interesting person. In the first few lines of your post u have written that u dont go for statistics. Then u have compared Younis' stats against AUS and SA with that of Yousuf and Inzi. So have have said and denied a statement in a single post. In simple words this is called hypocrisy buddy, you would be a goog candidate for Pakistan National Assembly if u keep denying ur statements so smoothly.

There is no point of staying with the team as Vice Caption and then refusing to lead the team, when caption is not fit enough to lead the team. He knows PCB’s style of management, then why did he accept this position if he is not willing to lead the team. Younis should step down for someone who has leadership qualities and willing to lead the team, so that someone can grow with the game and get mature and you can always have a standing caption, eager to fight. Younis has disappointed millions of his fans. PCB is a lab where idiots are always welcomed to make some experiments. There was no point of sending Afridi, Rao, Imran Nazir and young Sarfraz back to home. The consequences are obvious, you are short of 11 fully fit players and calling for cover couple of hours before the game starts. On top of that PCB has appointed Mr. Malik caption for test team while everybody knows that his selection for the test will never be justified. If can’t bowl and get wickets then we have better specialist batsmen waiting down the line to replace him. He might be a good one day caption, but surely test cricket is a different ball game ALL TOGETHER.

It is a rumour!! Mr Abbasi you should be a bit more patient and await the official line! But patience is a virtue very rare these days!
Still i am a fan of your blog and hope we can win this Test match to level the series and salvage some pride. Younis Khan is a great batsmen and a great leader and i understand his reluctance to lead as the PCB are a bunch of hypocrites!

WELL DONE and well said mr KAMI THE GREAT .. U earned the respect always that u ve been invested with..God bless u for that..
Younus Khan needs to help pakistan ease the pressure and lead from the front taken from the fact that THE CORNERED TIGERS need to show character and get out of the mess they r IN..

pak cricket board were always jokers and always will be, they wnat yes men without beards as captain. its obvious afridi as ODI captain Younis as test captain

I think this is a chance for Misbah, Misbah should be test captain i think. Because younis is not motivated. Misbah is a player for whom everybody has respect....

I think he would be the ideal captain.

I have to commend you for such a swift response to this news. I wrote to cricinfo just after reading the news asking that you start a blog on this, and after reading your post I have to admit, I could not have said it in a better fashion.

I had a lot of respect for Younis-the great batsman, and for his service under trying circumstances. I still remember that series against Australia in which we triumphed 2-1 because of his 'nerves of steel'. But, just as you mentioned there is a limit to every thing, and if Younis refuses to captain for the third test, I have to say that I'd rather see him sent back to Pakistan. He would only have a negative impact on the team from there on. A country's priorities come before an individual's. I wish Younis realized this.

I don't know where pak cricket is going! I think it is going the way of windies where board had lots of problem with the team and captain(LARA),result? They lost so many matches , like them PCB also having more problem with players&Captain, result? Like windies pak also loosing so many matches! Unity is power, as long as pak loose that, i think pak won't win matches. And also pak need good management and leadership which pak doesn't have! Captain must be aggressive character like GANGULY & PONTING who are the best captains for their respective teams. So,i think YOUNIS probably the correct choice, he should continue as captain ,MALIK? may play as a batsman if some one injured. Bring ASIM KAMAL for MALIK.

I for one somehow agree with y.khan. I do understand you need to make decision in the national interest. But The selector keep picking the some players again and again. M. Sami for example we heard he was performing brillantly i n the domestic game but still wicketless in the test match . rao aftkar test match record is rubbish. Why not try someone new like abdur rauf. I understand Yonus Khand view point u cant win games and cant be confident in the team if you dont agree with the playing 11!! So come on Misbah see if u can cross the last hurdle as captain.

I should be the captain and the coach too. And Im champion cuz I hit a 6 in sharjah. ok

Kamran bhai I agree with you but who would tell younis to use his head plus he ia a pathan. I think Shahid Afridi would have been a better captain in both type of games. He is fast and active on the field. Malik is a good or bad captain it's too early to say anything. Since he's a captain and a young player so i think we all should stand behind our captain. Younis khan has too much proud. Where he is getting the ideas who knows. Here he says games speaks itself and other day he says i don't want to be a captain. then he goes and run the game.

Sorry was a bit emmotional and so was Mr.Khan. Please think of country instead of power. we all know you are better than any other but if you are either so dum or proud of yourself then get a life.lol.

I always thought that a captain should be a fast bowler or a top order belligerent batman, as they depict aggression. Younis Khan's incessant snub is depressing, thus I believe that Shahid Afridi must be given an opportunity since he is one of the senior most player and captaincy will also knock some sense into his mode of batting.

Mohammad Yousuf lacks a technician's brain! He appears to be mild and soft spoken.

i think all of us r just reacting too soon in every case,malik's captaincy, misbah's good run and younis's captaincy denail,dont you all think that it is so unfair to judge malik with just few test matchs, dont you people think it is too soon to be praising misbah as we haveny seen him playing test cricket outside sub-continent, dont you feel it is unfair to blame younis as he is doing a favout to pakistan team by not accepting the full captaincy, as he has no other option other than performing and he is doing that well too, so leave him alone, let malik be captain and wait to see how misbah performs further, rather than rushing things, smith wasnt that successful as a captain when he started, even great batsmen failed and he we have 25yr old always performing player who is a good thinker also, give him some time as pcb has already decided, that will actually help pakistan image as well. let us all just look at the positives and avoid team from crashing!

I said I don’t like statistics- I never said “I don’t go for statistics”. If statistics would reveal the entire picture then I suppose most statistics would tell you that there can be little comparison between the class of Inzamam and Sachin Tendulkar. Try and look into the context of what I am trying to say rather than trying to make a futile point to get some fame and attention. When I said statistics are used by desperate or dying men to make a point, I had to use that “Australia/South Africa performance” statistic to make an important point about how Younis plays better bowling attacks better than Inzamam or Yousuf. However, like I said before, this may not reveal the entire picture, as it may be the case that when Younis played a few good innings against those oppositions, maybe the conditions favoured his type of batting more, maybe he was dropped on occasions etc etc. I think it is foolish to assume that someone will “not go for statistics” in the complicated world of today.

Most of the points raised above are OK with me, but I want to bring in another perspective. It is the non-professional attitude of PCB, full of favorites having little input in efforts to improve the team image and performance. I donot blame Younis to be the way he is, because he is a proud pathan and he will not bow down (very rightfully) to foolish ways the board likes him to operate. I personally think if the board can manage some sense and show confidence in him, he will have lesser concerns to become test captain (even if public attitude remains the same). In Pakistan we rate Imran Khan as the best leader of all time. Have a look at his relationship with the board during his time, specially in respect of team selection (he gave us Wasim, Waqar, Inzimam, Mushtaq). Younis is similar to him in this regard and I am quite sure if he is given a true power he can transform Pakistan team in a big way.

Cheers

In the face off beteen individuals and boards i would always be with individuals.my respect for younis goes up a few notches bcoz of his reluctance to lead a side.what do you mean by country's pride mr abbasi.its a board of self serving individuals who claim to do things in the name of the country.we need more of younis,yousufs,dravids to make the public aware of what goes on in the name of country's pride

Dear Kamran

I have to say that there is no difference between your opinions and that of a normal arm chair melodramtic Pakistani fan. Why are you attempting to degrade Younis's integrity? The man does not want to lead his side as he does not want to go through the awful scenes that were witnessed on his wedding i.e. when "fans" took a donkey at his Younis's wedding recetption and mockingly asked him to ride it. Pakistani fans and selectors are like no other...they expect the moon from our players without showing any decency (that fans i'm referring to here) themselves.

I'm not saying that all Pak fans are like that but there are many that are...who would want to even think of captaincy (unless you are greedy) with fans like this.

Kamran you have the easiest job in the world, sitting infront of your nice little computer and throwing darts without not knowing anything...we know what you know...so please don't pretend otherwise and do not drag Youni's good name down.

U got to accept this that cricket in india and pakistan is no more viewed as game esp when they are playing each other. its a battle where u can have only winner.And then u have people who speak from commentary rooms as if they were Don Bradman's of their time. Thats rubbish on their part. Take for example rameez raja, atul vasun, arun lal. People are aware of thier cricket records.

i dont know whts next mission of pakistan cricket.no planing,no stratgey,no grip on cricket,everyday we heard a new news of pakistan cricket team .yesterday we suddly heard tht younis jhan refused captaincy.wht is going on with our team i dont know whr is our mangament.why our guys doing wht they want & why they are not doing wht pakistani nation want frm them.in my opion Misbah s/b the captain & shoib malik vice captain of pakistan cricket team.As Misbah is proved in very short time tht he is well establishd batsman,he has good phycique ,good temprament,good technique ,good eyes ,and most important is that he is well educated.in my opion he is best choice as a captain right now as pakistan team is in establishing stage.PCB should slos think about new players as if they will not give the chance to new players thn how we can improve our cricket.we are giving again and again chances to those cricker who already faild to prove himself so we should go for new cricketers as indian team.

Younis Khan is a great player and the board should have enough sense knocked into them to enable him to focus on his batting.

I can't believe all the flack he's getting. Who'd want to captain under the corrupt administration and set up we have. Why do the players always get the blame and not the useless bureacrats at PCB and their lackeys. Younis has proved that he is the most valuable batsman we have, buts he's disliked because he isn't as naturally talented/elegant strokeplayer as an Inzi or Yousuf, but lets remember Test cricket is all about occupying the crease and he does his job perfectly, barring a few lapses, statistics aren't a perfect indicator but you don't get that high a test average by scoring just to save your place. So give the guy a break. If anything the reason we are loosing is because we don't prepare bouncy seaming wickets at home and for practice and preparation- and domestic level. Players faulty techniques aren't monitored and worked on in between internationals. The fast bowlers haven't got a clue how to stay fit and in shape.Need to sort structure top down guys.

Shouldnt the real question be why he does not want to captain the side? The PCB should find out what would make him captain the side. However the current administration hurts the team in terms of selection, support and a refusal to listen to its own players.

Younis khan is no mutt. He is without a doubt the best brain in pakistani cricket. However he understands the pressures and problems associated with the controlling board of pakistani cricket. The pressures from the bookies and the underworld as well as fickle fans merely make him a sitting duck. I believe the decision is personal, one which would effect his family and those around him. He is definitely the right choice but unfortunately plays for the wrong country. We in South Africa could do with such a tough character, batting second with balls of steel. Only in pakistan would they convince a player of his talent not to captain his country.

Mr. Abbasi you are being too kind to him. I dont understand Mr. Khans problem. He is so damn emotional that he puts an American teenage girl to shame. "I think the pressure gets a bit too much in these India-Pakistan series. If you win the match, you're a hero. Otherwise ... It shouldn't be that way" Get over it! If you cant handle the pressure get out of the team cause last thing the team needs is sissies like your self. In another article on CricInfo regarding the second test captaincy he said "Shoaib Malik failed a fitness test at the last minute and I had to take over. I needed to take a lot of decisions in quick time." I mean give me a break. Stop making excuses for your lack of motivation and leadership.