Daily Times

KARACHI: Former Pakistan skipper Younus Khan said Tuesday the Pakistan and India Asia Cup encounter would be one to watch. Speaking to media at a cricket camp for Balochistan cricketers, Younus said: “The game between Pakistan and India will be exciting. There is a fifty-fifty chance for both the teams and whoever plays the best will win.” Pakistan will take on India on September 19 in Asia Cup. The veteran batsman, who led Pakistan to their victory in the 2009 ICC World T20, said regular series between the two countries was important. “A series like Ashes can be played between the two teams. It doesn’t have to be every year. It would be every two years or three years,” he added.

On the subject of leagues and domestic cricket, the veteran batsman said league cricket like the Pakistan Super League (PSL) was important for the improvement of cricket in the country. “Bangladesh and India both have their own cricket leagues and their cricket has vastly improved.” He added these leagues were a good way to find new talent. “Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Fakhar Zaman and Shaheen Shah Afridi all came through PSL.” Moreover, he added, department cricket was now in competition with regional cricket. “Even if the two are merged there will still be new talent. The important thing is to give the same level of importance to domestic cricket that we give to international cricket.” Younus said if money was poured into the domestic circuit, Pakistan would get better results. When asked about dam fund and the contribution towards it, Younus said dams were important for the country and we should all contribute towards it.

Published in Daily Times, September 12^th 2018.