World-class Test batsman Younis Khan announced his retirement from international cricket in a press conference in Karachi on Saturday.
“I would like to formally announce that [my retirement] after this next series against West Indies and thank everyone for their continuous support in my journey,” Khan said.
Khan took the occasion to thank his fans, adding that: “I have always tried to take the country’s name forward and always go one step ahead. I think everyone around me knows that my goal has been to do my best for the country.”
“I would like my fans to forgive me for any shortcomings in my career or times where I have not been able to deliver in the ground,” Khan said.
“This does not come as a surprise, the news has been circulating for a while so everyone was expecting it; I don’t think this comes as a shock to anyone,” Khan said, answering a question regarding the timing of the announcement.
His retirement announcement comes just two days after Test skipper Misbah-ul-Haq announced his own retirement from Test cricket.
Younis Khan has cemented his place in Pakistan’s cricket history as an iconic batsman with unparalleled success.
He has been a busy batsman at the crease. His batting style, in all its uniqueness, drew a fair amount of scepticism, but his ownership of his style remained unapologetic and firm.
He is just 23 runs away from the 10,000-runs mark in Test cricket and is expected to achieve the benchmark in the upcoming Test series against West Indies.
Khan first’s major break in international cricket came with his debut Test hundred against Sri Lanka in February 2000 at the Karachi National Stadium.
In the second innings of the match, he scored a 107, cementing his place in the team as a strong lower middle-order batsman.
Over the 17-year span of his career, Khan has been a hugely successful batsman. With a Test average of over 50, a triple-hundred, a double-hundred against India in India and a memorable partnership to clinch Pakistan’s 3-0 Test whitewash over England: Khan’s career speaks for itself.
Khan also became the only batsman to have scored a century in 11 different countries when he smashed the 34th ton of his career at the Sydney Cricket Ground against Australia in 2016.
One of his major achievements was leading the Pakistani team to win the 2009 T20 World Cup.
While the cricket board would have to work hard to replace Khan, his retirement will bring him closer to pursuing his life-long passion of fishing and spending more time with his family.
