Karachi: He stole the limelight with his batting prowess in the just-concluded Test series win over Australia, but senior Pakistan batsman Younis Khan has said that he thought about quitting after being dropped unceremoniously from the ODI squad last month.
"Yes the thought of retirement crossed my mind. I was so disappointed and upset at being dropped for the ODI series. But my family and friends told me you must not give up and try to do something for the country," Younis said.
The former skipper, who left an undeniable mark in Pakistan's 2-0 victory over Australia in the Test series that concluded on Monday, said that his anger stemmed from the fact that he was sidelined by the selectors after just one match.
"I got a chance to play just one match in 18 months in Sri Lanka and I had to return owing to a family tragedy. So when they dropped me for the ODI series against Australia I was upset and thought about retirement," he said.
Younis said he was also hurt when the selectors hinted that he was not in their plans for next year's World Cup.
"It hurt because if a player like me is not part of future plans than what can other players say," he said. But Younis said the incident is now a thing of the past and he had moved forward.
For his batting exploits in the two Tests against Australia, which includes 468 runs at an average of 156 with a double century and two tons to his credit, Younis was adjudged man-of-the-series.
He also dismissed comparisons between his batting averages in Test and ODIs, which is around 53 and 31. "In ODI cricket I have never concentrated on my own performance or getting big scores. I had always tried to play my role in getting a win for the team," Younis said.
"Yes playing in the World Cup is a big dream for me and I want to play a similar role that Javed (Miandad) or Inzamam (ul-Haq) played the last time we won the 1992 World Cup," he added.
Younis also had words of praise for batting coach, Grant Flower. "It would be unfair not to mention the contribution of Grant Flower in this series win and our batting performances.
Grant played a huge role in helping all the batsman play the way they did against Australia," he said. "I thank him for the support and help he gave me. It would be unfair not to mention his name while appreciating everyone's contribution."
Younis also had words of appreciation for skipper Misbah-ul-Haq. "Misbah this time was a changed person and he was coming to us for suggestions and it all worked well for us," he said.
