What Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq’s Pakistan team-mates have to say on the pair
Danyal Rasool and Umar Farooq10-May-2017Azhar Ali”When Misbah took over as captain, it was a low point in Pakistan cricket. At that time, we were fighting to regain our very dignity and Misbah kept impressing upon us that we had to earn back the faith of our supporters. In the next seven years, we saw tough times but his leadership helped us through them. The one thing that was very important to him was that, whatever the outcome, we must give our absolute best. I personally took that advice to heart and it simply wouldn’t have been possible to achieve what we did without Misbah.”His own demeanour is an example in itself. He is mentally calm and has nerves of steel. It is hard to explain in words how important he was in soothing the nerves of everyone when we were under pressure.”Younis might appear different, but his work ethic is just exemplary. When I was starting off in cricket, I saw how he set about working on his game, how he trained, how he maintained his fitness and what he did in the nets and I thought, ‘This person is worth following.’ Watching him play when you’re at the other end, you learn so much, but at the same town, he doesn’t bombard you with advice, letting you play your game instead. Only if he feels you’ve made a big mistake or you’re struggling badly will he come up and talk to you. And obviously his achievements speak for themselves. That’s what has earned him global respect.”For us, it’s hard to register that they won’t be in the dressing room after this series; we can’t imagine life without them. We were just so surprised at them retiring because they’re still so fit, perhaps the fittest players in our squad. We are very emotional too, just the thought that the dressing room will be without them feels strange, and will do so for a while.”Asad Shafiq: ‘Their behaviour with the junior players is exemplary’•Getty ImagesAsad Shafiq”Under Misbah’s captaincy, the atmosphere in the dressing room has always been wonderful. In situations where regular people would panic, Misbah does not, and this is his biggest strength. His behaviour with junior players is exemplary and I am lucky to have played under him.”In fact, both Misbah and Younis’ role in my career is very important. When as a junior player you come to the team, you have been watching players like Misbah and Younis for a few years. Initially, you are nervous around them, because there is a culture – especially in Pakistan – that the difference between junior and senior players is very keenly felt. But their behaviour with the junior players is exemplary. Things that I would have learned in five-six years if Misbah and Younis hadn’t been around, I ended up learning in two-three years. Not just me, but all the junior players who have come into the team have benefited as both batsmen and human beings.”The experience of batting with them has also been so much fun. When I had good partnerships with them, I learned about how to mould my batting according to various conditions and the other sides’ strengths. I can’t say who I’ll miss more, because both players’ services are extraordinary. Both have won a number of matches for Pakistan. We will have to work extra-hard to fill up the space that will be left by their departure.”Sarfraz Ahmed: ‘Whenever the team had difficulties, Misbah led the team from the front’•ICCSarfraz Ahmed”The dressing room atmosphere was great under Misbah. I learnt a lot from him and I really like the way he leads. He reads the game in a very calm, composed manner. He is great at understanding how to take the players along with him and get the best out of them.”The experience of batting with Younis is amazing. I haven’t had too many partnerships with him, but what is great about him is he rotates the strike very well, and guides you along. He keeps giving good advice and whoever bats with him say they enjoyed it.”We will of course miss both of them deeply. As you can see, they have been the backbone of our Test team for the last six years. Whenever the team had difficulties, Misbah led the team from the front. Younis used to bat at No. 4, and Misbah at No. 5, so it will affect our Test team a lot when they’re gone. When we came to the team, we used to learn from the way they conducted themselves, and we’ll miss all of that.”They give all of us young players advice: me, Azhar, Shan [Masood], Babar [Azam], Ahmed Shehzad. They keep telling us to take care of our fitness. They say we should conduct practice sessions with intensity. I always stood behind the wicket with Younis Khan in the slip cordon, and we talked about what to do if a batsman wasn’t getting out. What they have taught us, we will do our best to implement.”Shan Masood on his partnership with Younis Khan in a record chase in Pallekele, 2015: ‘I would describe it as my childhood dream’•AFPShan Masood”We are lucky to have Misbah and Younis in our dressing room. We probably will not realise the significance of this thing but in the next four or five years, when we look back, we will feel the importance of sharing the dressing room with them. Both of them have played a big role not only on the field but off the field as well. They have helped even with the small things like managing your kit bag, managing your work ethics and how to be organised overall in training. In my career so far, I have never seen such organised players.”The [Palekelle innings with Younis Khan] is something that will remain with me for rest of my life. I would describe it as my childhood dream. It was just the other day that I was watching highlights of it and it still gives me goosebumps. When I reflect back on that particular innings, for me it’s hard to describe because there was not much going through my mind in terms of emotions. I was just going along with the flow but if I look back it right now, everything that I wanted was coming off. How Pakistan was able to create history, how massive that chase was… It makes me happy that I was able to contribute alongside Younis.”The best piece of advice Misbah gave me was prior to the Pallekele Test. I was dejected for two reasons. One, we had lost the earlier Test and two, I thought that this would be another tour where I go back without playing a game. But Misbah asked me my age. When I told him I was 25, he said at the same age he hadn’t played any first-class cricket as he was completing his degree. The point he was trying to make was that I needed to trust myself, be patient and keep working as hard as possible and things would eventually fall into place. It’s not a short-term thing, it’s a long-term goal and you need to keep believing and keep going back to it again and again. The way he has done this is similar, he talked about a lot of obstacles in his life and he has been very patient about it and now he is reaping the rewards.”As for Younis, whatever he says is short and to the point. Overall, it’s like he has given me a dictionary on how to conduct yourself as a cricketer. So he is a big influence on my short international career, my domestic cricket and, hopefully, when he fades away I can stick to those things he taught me and my performances can reflect all those things.”Ahmed Shehzad: ‘This series will be an emotional series for all of us because these two players are the pride of our nation’•AFPAhmed Shehzad”Of course they are the senior-most players in our team and we all look up to them and we all try to learn whatever we can from them. They are different individuals. If you talk about Younis, I was lucky to spend my early days with him at Habib Bank Limited in domestic cricket. He is one player I admire a lot both on and off the field. So I consider myself lucky to be sharing a dressing room with him.”Misbah, similarly, has been phenomenal. He took the team to the No. 1 position after things were so bad when he got the captaincy. Since then, the way he led the side is remarkable. Now after seven to eight years, he is saying goodbye to cricket, and that is a tough thing to swallow. His contribution will be remembered. Whenever we needed him, he would be there for us. I have learnt a lot from heart-to-heart talks with him and we are definitely going to miss him a lot.”The most important advice Younis gave was to be yourself, always believe, don’t try to hold back from taking risks because taking risks is something which takes you above everything. Life is all about taking risks and not being afraid. While batting, Younis never disturbs you as he wants you to play according to your own plan. He doesn’t talk too much on the field but talks to you off the field instead.”Misbah always says we should take sensible decisions. Think twice before you take any call about your life or cricketing career. This is advice that I always kept close to my heart.”This series will be an emotional series for all of us because these two players are the pride of our nation. They are the two strong pillars of the Pakistan team. So I am going to miss everything they have given us, all small incidents in hotel rooms, on the field, in dressing rooms, all good and bad memories, wins and losses. Whatever we shared together all these years will be missed and remain in our hearts forever.”
