Younis wishes run glut came at home
Younis Khan admitted that he would have enjoyed his recent run of big scores more had they come in Pakistan instead of the United Arab Emirates.
Younis Khan admitted that he would have enjoyed his recent run of big scores more had they come in Pakistan instead of the United Arab Emirates.
International cricket in Pakistan have been suspended since 2009 when a Sri Lankan team bus was the target of a terrorist attack.
Since then, Pakistan have played all their home international matches in the UAE, where they are currently involved in a Test series with New Zealand having previously beaten Australia there.
In the first Test against the Aussies in Dubai, he scored hundreds in both innings, before making 213 in the second match in Abu Dhabi.
Then during Pakistan's first innings score of 566 for three at the same venue in the first Test against the Kiwis, he made 100 not out.
Even though he feels immensely proud of his achievements with bat in hand, Younis admitted that it would have been even better had he made the four recent hundreds in front of his home fans.
"It would have been fantastic had all this happened in Pakistan before my own people," an emotional Younis said following the second day's play against New Zealand.
"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.
"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.
He added that he considered retiring after he was dropped from the Pakistani one-day squad, but admitted that in hindsight he is pleased that he didn't.
"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," Younis said of his 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.
"He (batting coach Grant Flower) works from morning to evening, tough hard work and he doesn't force me but motivates me and that has worked."
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