Mohammad Yousuf Biography
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Mohammad Yousuf, born August 27, 1974, is a Pakistani middle-order batsman who went on to become one of the highest run-scorers produced by the country in both Tests and One-Day Internationals (ODIs).
Career
Yousuf took to cricket from a young age When he was 12. He was spotted by a local gymkhana who asked him to play for them. As he grew up, he joined the Forman Christian College and played for their cricket team as well, before giving up for almost a year in 1994, when he was 20. Within a few months, Lahore realized their folly and requested him to play for them in the 1997-98 season. Within no time of making the switch, Yousuf was picked in the Pakistan squad for a tour of South Africa and made his Test debut at Durban in February 1998. And so it began. The Pakistani run machine was switched on; its first target was the Zimbabwe team. In his first two innings against the African nation in both Tests and ODIs, Yousuf scored half-centuries. Yousuf soon formed a formidable Pakistan middle order along with Inzamam-ul-Haq and Younis Khan that pulverized bowling attacks around the world.
Batting Style
Mohammad Yousuf was easily one of the most delightful batsmen to watch in recent times. With a pragmatic manner of scoring runs, but still elegant enough to make you go wow at his strokes, Yousuf ploughed his way to 7,530 runs in Test matches — the third-highest run-tally among Pakistanis, behind Javed Miandad and Inzamam-ul-Haq) — including 25 hundreds and 46 fifties. In ODIs, he is Pakistan’s second-highest run-getter with 9,554, behind just Inzamam, including 15 centuries and 62 fifties.
Record Achievements
In July 2006, when Pakistan toured England, Yousuf essayed three innings of extreme class: he scored 202 in the first Test at Lord’s, rescuing Pakistan from 68 for 4, batting 7 hours 48 minutes in an innings that included 26 fours and a six, and bowed his forehead to the turf in the direction of Mecca; at Headingley, Yousuf fell 8 short of his third double century in four Tests against England.
In the calendar year 2006, Yousuf scored 1,788 runs in Test matches and scored nine centuries, breaking two records previously held by Sir Viv Richards; both had taken 11 Tests to do so. His average for that year was a Bradmanesque 99.33. In November that year, Yousuf achieved 933 rating points in the ICC Test Rankings for batsmen, which was the 10th highest figure ever achieved; it got him to a personal best ranking of No 2 in the world, behind an equally prolific Ricky Ponting. Thus, it came as no surprise when Yousuf was named ICC Test Player of the Year.
Conversion to Islam
Yousuf’s faith as a Christian was always a taboo topic right from the beginning, but perhaps never came to the fore in the initial stages of his career; at least nothing significant was reported about it. He had married a Christian woman and things seemed normal. But suddenly, one fine day in 2005, news broke that Yousuf had converted to Islam. Yousuf Youhana had become Mohammad Yousuf. The earlier clean shaven look was replaced by a flowing beard that grew with years. His family was shocked and expressed anger at the decision. He had thus become only the fourth Christian to play cricket for Pakistan after of Wallis Mathias, Antao D’Souza and Duncan Sharpe, an Anglo-Pakistani.
Captaincy and Controversy
March 10, 2010, Captain Yousuf and his predecessor, Younis, were banned from playing for Pakistan in any format for an indefinite period. With both Yousuf and Younis being on the wrong side of 30, not many expected them to play for Pakistan again, at least till Butt was still at the helm. Yousuf’s case was particularly perplexing, as he hadn’t done anything so grave as to warrant an indefinite ban. He wasn’t the first captain to experience a total series whitewash and had agreed to undertake leadership of the side after Younis had unceremoniously given up in 2009 following match-fixing allegations.
At the end of March, Yousuf announced his retirement from international cricket in protest. “I have received a letter from the PCB suggesting that my presence in the team is harmful for the team and so I announce my retirement from international cricket,” Yousuf said. In May 2013, some media channels reported that Yousuf had retired from international cricket. However, Yousuf denied the reports and said, “I am already out of the Pakistan team and haven’t played top class cricket for a while now so what is the purpose of me announcing any retirement. The selectors are not considering me for selection and frankly speaking I haven’t had the chance to play regular cricket for a while now.”
Mohammad Yousuf
Mohammad Yousuf
Mohammad Yousuf
Mohammad Yousuf
Mohammad Yousuf
Mohammad Yousuf
Mohammad Yousuf
Mohammad Yousuf
Mohammad Yousuf
Mohammad Yousuf
Mohammad Yousuf
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