“Will play as long as I’m fit and hungry”: Younis

Saturday, 17 January 2015 04:24 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

ESPNCricinfo: Younis Khan has said that he will continue to play as long as he is fit and is able to sustain his hunger for the game. The 37-year old Younis, who made a comeback to the one-day side after being dropped last September, also ruled out focusing on only Tests to prolong his career. “I don’t have such thing to just play Test matches. My body is in front of you, I don’t get stiffness in my body. Whenever I will feel that my body is not allowing me to play I will go and retire,” Younis said in Lahore. “I have some plans and I hope I succeed in them. I don’t get this life back and it makes you happy when your national anthem is played in other countries. I am a proud Pakistani and will try to serve my country. I will continue to play as long as I am fit.”

Younis also did not feel any need to move down the order for the upcoming World Cup in Australia and New Zealand conditions. Nearly half of Younis’ ODI career has been spent in the No. 3 position and that was where he wanted to continue, he said. “I have been playing at No. 3 since 2004. I have no such thinking that there will be two new balls in Australia and [that I should] bat down the order. I will be very happy to bat at this position, like Imran Khan used to in 1992. I will be very happy if I repeat that and score runs for the team at No. 3.” While acknowledging that conditions would be different during the World Cup, Younis felt Pakistan had as good a chance as teams such as Australia and South Africa. “In the subcontinent, the pitches are skiddy and subcontinent teams do struggle when they play outside their own territory. But other teams like South Africa, England and Australia play well there. [But] with the new rule where five fielders are inside the circle, I think it will be good for us. I think Pakistan team has chances equal to Australia and South Africa’s to win the World Cup.”