Pakistani Cricket Players: Mohammad Yousuf

Mohammad Yousuf Biography

Source(google.com.pk)
Full name Mohammad Yousuf

Born August 27, 1974, Lahore, Punjab

Current age 39 years 183 days

Major teams Pakistan, Asia XI, Bahawalpur, Lahore, Lahore Badshahs, Lancashire, Pakistan International Airlines, Warwickshire, Water and Power Development Authority, Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited

Batting style Right-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm offbreak
Mohammad Yousuf
Batting and fielding averages
    Mat     Inns     NO     Runs     HS     Ave     BF     SR     100     50     4s     6s     Ct     St
Tests     90     156     12     7530     223     52.29     14372     52.39     24     33     957     51     65     0
ODIs     288     273     40     9720     141*     41.71     12942     75.10     15     64     785     90     58     0
T20Is     3     3     0     50     26     16.66     43     116.27     0     0     5     1     1     0
First-class     141     239     20     10505     223     47.96             30     51             84     0
List A     338     322     47     11026     141*     40.09             15     75             70     0
Twenty20     27     22     3     368     57*     19.36     337     109.19     0     1     37     8     11     0
Bowling averages
    Mat     Inns     Balls     Runs     Wkts     BBI     BBM     Ave     Econ     SR     4w     5w     10
Tests     90     1     6     3     0     -     -     -     3.00     -     0     0     0
ODIs     288     2     2     1     1     1/0     1/0     1.00     3.00     2.0     0     0     0
T20Is     3     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -
First-class     141         18     24     0     -     -     -     8.00     -     0     0     0
List A     338         8     13     1     1/0     1/0     13.00     9.75     8.0     0     0     0
Twenty20     27     1     1     1     0     -     -     -     6.00     -     0     0     0
Career statistics
Test debut     South Africa v Pakistan at Durban, Feb 26-Mar 2, 1998 scorecard
Last Test     England v Pakistan at Lord's, Aug 26-29, 2010 scorecard
Test statistics
ODI debut     Zimbabwe v Pakistan at Harare, Mar 28, 1998 scorecard
Last ODI     Pakistan v South Africa at Dubai (DSC), Nov 8, 2010 scorecard
ODI statistics
T20I debut     England v Pakistan at Bristol, Aug 28, 2006 scorecard
Last T20I     England v Pakistan at Cardiff, Sep 7, 2010 scorecard
T20I statistics
First-class debut     1996/97
Last First-class     Warwickshire v Durham at Birmingham, May 24-27, 2011 scorecard
List A debut     1996/97
Last List A     Warwickshire v Durham at Birmingham, May 22, 2011 scorecard
Twenty20 debut     Karachi Dolphins v Lahore Lions at Lahore, Apr 25, 2005 scorecard
Last Twenty20     Lahore Lions v Faisalabad Wolves at Lahore, Dec 9, 2012 scorecard
Recent matches
Bat & Bowl     Team     Opposition     Ground     Match Date     Scorecard
3*     Lahore Lions     v Wolves     Lahore     9 Dec 2012     T20
-     Lahore Lions     v Stags     Lahore     8 Dec 2012     T20
8     Lahore Lions     v S Stallions     Lahore     7 Dec 2012     T20
-     Lahore Lions     v Zebras     Lahore     1 Dec 2012     T20
35     Lahore Lions     v R Rams     Faisalabad     30 Jun 2011     T20
5     Lahore Lions     v Hawks     Faisalabad     29 Jun 2011     T20
18     Lahore Lions     v Leopards     Faisalabad     27 Jun 2011     T20
13     Lahore Lions     v S Stallions     Faisalabad     25 Jun 2011     T20
0, 0     Warwickshire     v Durham     Birmingham     24 May 2011     FC
74*     Warwickshire     v Durham     Birmingham     22 May 2011     LA
Profile

This much is at least certain that few Pakistani batsmen have been as elegant as Mohammad Yousuf and fewer still have been as prolific, as hungry to bat as long and bat as big.

At his best, watching Yousuf bat is an unnervingly tranquil experience, especially amid the traditional chaos of a Pakistan batting order. He has a dangerously high backlift, which makes every shot he plays, a late, unhurried afterthought, but a beautiful one. The feet take time to get going, but once they do, they dance with the best. Square and behind it on the off side are his areas, where his game is the most enchanting.

Both his life and career can be demarcated into two distinct phases. Until 2005, as Yousuf Youhana, he was only the fourth Christian to have played for Pakistan, and easily the most successful. He converted publicly to Islam late that year, after which he became a great Pakistani batsman and briefly part of as formidable a middle order as the country has seen, with Younis Khan and Inzamam-ul-Haq on either side. At least he believes there to be a link, and statistics would back that up.

Immediately after, in 2006, came his most profitable year, in fact the most profitable for any batsman ever in a calendar year. Over 11 Tests, he scored 1788 runs with nine hundreds, breaking Sir Viv Richards' 30-year-old record. If there had been a nagging doubt that he often withered when the heat was on - and the story of his rise from extremely humble backgrounds as a member of a minority religion should've wiped those away anyway - it was erased here.

Age, run-ins with the board since, and ill-advised flirtations with the ICL and captaincy dimmed his aura but the worst came in March 2010, when the PCB imposed a life-ban on him, along with Younis Khan as a part of its unprecedentedly harsh sanctions on senior players from the ill-fated tour of Australia. Yousuf's was overturned in 2010.
Mohammad Yousuf (previously known as Yousuf Youhana) has been the most consistent performer for the Pakistan side since his debut in 1998. Until his conversion to Islam, he was one of the few Christians to play for Pakistan.Stylish, composed and a natural stroke-maker, Yousuf has been the pillar of the Pakistan batting line-up with Younus Khan for sometime now. He is strong through the covers and is elegant while using his wrists to flick the ball off his legs. He is quick between the wickets as well.

He has shown a hunger for big runs when he broke Sir Vivian Richards' world record for the most Test runs in a single calendar year. Now a senior in the team, Yousuf’s name is surely going to be written in the annals of Pakistan cricket.e is particularly strong driving through the covers and flicking wristily off his legs and brings with him as decadent and delicious a backlift as any in the game. A tendency to overbalance when playing across his front leg can get him into trouble. He excels at both versions of the game, and in one-day cricket can score 20 or 30 runs before anyone notices.In 2006, Yousuf truly came of age in a record-breaking year. He began by plundering India and continued in England, not just scoring under pressure, but scoring big. A double ton at Lord's was followed by another big hundred at Headingly and the Oval.

He rounded off a fantastic year with four hundreds in three Tests against the West Indies, a feat that took him past Viv Richards's long-standing record of most Test runs in a calendar year and also saw him establish the record for most Test hundreds (9) in a year.But his surprise exclusion from the 15-man squad for the 2007 Twenty20 World Championship led him to signing up for the Indian Cricket League (ICL). Though the PCB persuaded him to cancel the ICL, he did eventually join the ICL in November 2008. However, with the PCB granting an amnesty to players in the unofficial league, he was picked for Pakistan's 15-member squad for the tour of Sri Lanka in June 2009. He announced his return in grand style with a century in Galle.