Lahore, September 10: The World Twenty20 triumph came just at the right time and returning victorious from the Champions Trophy would signal the beginning of Pakistan’s cricketing fortunes, believes skipper Younis Khan.
”The World Twenty20 success in England (in June) came at a time when the country and our people were in crisis. Now if we win the Champions Trophy it will be tantamount to a fresh beginning,” Younis said yesterday.
Younis has urged his boys to put all their efforts and win the eight-nation tournament, starting later this month. He also said the win will be a treat to all people in Pakistan who will miss the event watching live. The Champions Trophy was originally scheduled to be held in Pakistan last year, but due to security concerns the event was first postponed to September-October 2009 before being finally relocated to South Africa after foreign teams refused to tour the trouble-torn nation.
”It would have been best had the Trophy been played before our home fans, but it did not happen. Now I want my team to win the Trophy so that people can rejoice over another success,” said Younis.
Led by the 31-year-old Younis, Pakistan clinched this summer’s World Twenty20 title amidst crisis in the country.
The Pakistan captain further expressed his belief that if Pakistan won the Champions Trophy it would signal renewed hope. ”We are fast coming out of the crisis and I hope that the win in the Champions Trophy will give us hope to build on the game which has suffered a lot in the recent past.
”At this point of time our country and team need more and more victories so that we remain amongst the top nations of the world. Winning the trophy is not the only aim. Taking the team to the top of the rankings is the aim,” he was quoted as saying by ‘The News’.
Pakitan currently stay at fourth in the ICC ODI rankings and at the dismal sixth in the Test standings, and Younis reckons that winning the major events will definitely catch the attention of the governing body, and will raise their rankings in both the formats of the game.
”I always believe that if a team wins a major ICC event, its standing and image gets better and my aim is to win the Champions Trophy and then the World Cup 2011, and I am confident that the team can achieve that,” the right-hander added.
—–Agencies