Yousuf Youhana: Regrets missing 1999 World Cup final

JOHANNESBURG (South Africa), February 6: Yousuf Youhana, one of the mainstays of Pakistan middle-order batting, Thursday admitted that he still regretted missing the final of the 1999 World Cup.

Yousuf Youhana Photo © CricInfo

"I think that was the worst time of my career - watching the World Cup final from the dressing room. It still hurts inside," Youhana said.

Youhana missed the Lord's match because of hamstring injury. Prior to that, he was in magnificent form having scored 161 from four matches at 53.66.

"Although I was new to that level of the game then, but still I was in good form. And when you are in such good nick, you just want to be out there stroking the ball instead of taking treatment for hamstring injury. It was really bad.

"But now I am fit and looking forward to playing in all the games, inshallah in the final as well. I have to make amends and I think I have matured over the years to play a tournament-winning innings," he said.

Youhana said he has set a high task for himself this time.

"I want to be the player of the tournament. That's the task I have set for myself in this tournament. I know this event matters a lot to the public back home but it matters even more to the players because they also know that if they win here, they will he national heroes. Our pride is at stake and the team is geared up to do well here," a confident Youhana said.

He added: "I have been with the team for nearly six years now. But the atmosphere I am feeling today, I haven't felt before. This atmosphere motivates the player further and he tries to do extra. We are training extremely hard as a team but when a player gets an opportunity or free time, he goes in the gymnasium or spends time in the swimming pool to further improve his fitness. And if you are fit, you are bound to perform better."

Nevertheless, Youhana, who has scored 4,161 runs in 121 matches at 42.89, admitted that he has yet to find his form.

"I am stroking the ball and have also got some runs in the previous two warmup games. But I am not convinced with myself. The fluent timing is missing and the ball is also not regularly hitting the middle of the wood. I am trying to spend more time in the centre so that I can feel comfortable with my timing. I am also spending more time in the nets but match practice is a different ball game," he said.

Youhana scored 32 each at Alberton and Lenasia but was unfortunate to be run-out in the first game and then received a cruel leg before decision in the second.

Youhana believed Pakistan had all the tools to the win the tournament. But urged the followers of the game to keep belief in the team and take the sport as sport.

"I think there has to be one or two exceptional performances in each game and the rest of the players have to rally around those performances so that we produce positive results. In 1999, although most of the boys were young but they were performing regularly. I got some runs and Abdul Razzaq and Azhar Mahmood picked up 26 wickets between them. Then there was Shoaib Akhtar who took 16 wickets while Saeed Anwar, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Wajahatullah Wasti scored runs from the top.

"Our key to success will be runs from the top. The openers have to provide the platform for the middle-order batsmen to post winning scores. I know how difficult it is for me or Inzi to come out before the 10th over. We not only have to stabilize the innings, we have to keep the scoreboard moving while keeping our wickets intact."

Asked which team would be a threat, Yousuf said: "We are going match by match and don't feel threatened by any team. We have to play hard cricket against every team because the points system this time is different as the teams moving in the Super Six will also carrying bonus points against the non-qualifiers."

Samiul Hasan
Media Manager
Pakistan Cricket Team
February 6, 2003