Younus Khan asks sub-continent boards to solve crisis

Pakistan skipper wants sub-continent's cricket boards to meet to solve the cricket crisis

Younus Khan asks sub-continent boards to solve crisis

Pakistan skipper wants sub-continent's cricket boards to meet to solve the cricket crisis

Traumatised and personally humiliated as a Pakistani when the Sri Lankan team was attacked by gunmen last March, Younus would like to see the region's governments and cricket boards get together in their larger interest.

"Remember," the Pakistan skipper said, "it was cricket that brought Pakistan and India together again u00e2u0080u0093 only for terrorists in Mumbai and Lahore to tear them apart once more."

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The 31-year old added: "Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh should sit at one table and just think about cricket, not think about their (own) selves.

"At least they would make some way for cricket," he said. "If not all four countries will be suffering (sic)", Younus told the Sydney Morning Herald in Abu Dhabi yesterday.

The Pakistani captain said he will pursue his initiative at the Twenty20 World Cup in England in June with Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene.

"I will try and convince them. If they listen to me it will be good, not for myself, it will be good for all countries especially for cricket," Younus said.

Younus spoke about the future in philosophical vein, even as he laughed off Pakistani batsmen's self-destruction to defeat on Monday night.

"Maybe I won't be here, maybe I'll go and there will be a bomb and I will die so what is the point (of worrying about cricket)".

Younus was laughing in the stands after scoring a golden (first ball) duck, joking that if there had been sharks around, his players would have thrown themselves into the water.

"Any other team would win easily: 95 for nought and suddenly we are bowled out for 171 (chasing 198 for victory).

"This is the beauty of Pakistan cricket, seriously. It was good fun, especially as a captain, for me. I was laughing," he said.

Younus went into the press conference after his team's defeat laughing.

"We are only losing. I am not killing somebody. Maybe I am losing 4-0 but I will come to the press conference and be laughing.

"It is not the end of life. In the end it is only cricket, only sport. One team must lose."

Reflecting on the attack on the Sri Lankan team bus while his own team bus was a few minutes behind, Younus said: "Oh, we were in shock, oh man, I stood up as captain and said 'please, everybody be calm and just pray for the Sri Lankans'.

"They were our guests. I feel very, very guilty (on behalf) of my nation, actually. We are Muslims and we always look after our friends. It is in our blood if anyone visits us, even if it is our enemy.

"I told Mahela (Jayawardene, the Sri Lankan captain) 'we should have been together and we could have looked after each other ... I feel that at that time you were alone."

But Younus remains optimistic despite the trauma of the bombing"I believe it. Maybe one day, soon, Inshallah (God willing) everything will change."

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