reverse_swing
November 30, 2006, 04:56 AM
Yousuf breaks 30-year-old record
Osman Samiuddin
November 30, 2006
A typically elegant, clipped on-drive for four off Corey Collymore took Mohammad Yousuf from 44 to 48 on the fourth day of the final Test between Pakistan and West Indies at Karachi. A modest raise of the bat acknowledged that the drive also took him past one of the longest-standing records in cricket, of most runs in a calendar year.
Sir Viv Richards's had scored 1710 runs in 1976, a memorable run during which he scored two double-hundreds against England in England and the closest anyone had come to it since was Ricky Ponting in 2005, with 1544 runs.
Yousuf began his run with two hundreds in the home series against India. He only played a solitary Test in Sri Lanka, personally an unmemorable one, but a double-century at Lord's sparked off a stunning second half of the year.
Two more hundreds came from the remaining three Tests in England, including a 192 at Headingley. He ended the year with three hundreds in as many Tests against the West Indies at home.
During the course of this magnificent run, a few more records fell. His first-innings hundred at Karachi meant that he had scored eight Test hundreds this year alone, going past the previous best of seven, held jointly by Richards and Aravinda de Silva. By scoring five hundreds in five consecutive Tests, he also became only the third man, along with Jacques Kallis and Sir Don Bradman (six hundreds in six Tests) to do so.
And just before he went past Richards tally, he had glided past Zaheer Abbas's record for the most runs made by a Pakistani batsman in a three-Test series. Abbas had made 583 runs against the visiting Indians in 1978-79.
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Bob Woolmer
It is a marvellous achievement. I have had the honour of playing against Viv Richards and coaching Yousuf. Both are very different in their styles, Viv was a lot more aggressive and Yousuf more sedate but to break Viv's record is really an outstanding achievement.
Sanjay Manjrekar
The most striking thing about Yousuf at the moment is that it is as if he is batting in a trance. He is so calm at the crease and that mental change is the most striking change from last year. You know people will say that he played on flat tracks, against weak attacks at times but that is neither here nor there. He still had to break a big record and he has done it. What's good to see, apart from the calm demeanour, is that he is, like all good batsmen, cashing in on good form and making the most of that period."
Nasim Ashraf
Pakistan is very proud of his achievements and he will be honoured by the PCB after the match.
Hanif Mohammad
We are proud of what he has done and I hope this is the start of of something great for him.
Ramiz Raja
He's been absolutely brilliant this year and has done it against good teams in India, England and the West Indies and has done it home and away. I don't think he has made any technical adjustments as such, but he is so sound mentally now. Religion has played an integral part in his growth not just as a cricketer but as a person. I used to doubt his ability to see Pakistan through in situations before but he has rescued Pakistan from precarious positions through the year. A superb achievement.
Osman Samiuddin is Pakistan editor of Cricinfo
link>> (http://uk.cricinfo.com/pakvwi/content/current/story/270423.html)
Osman Samiuddin
November 30, 2006
A typically elegant, clipped on-drive for four off Corey Collymore took Mohammad Yousuf from 44 to 48 on the fourth day of the final Test between Pakistan and West Indies at Karachi. A modest raise of the bat acknowledged that the drive also took him past one of the longest-standing records in cricket, of most runs in a calendar year.
Sir Viv Richards's had scored 1710 runs in 1976, a memorable run during which he scored two double-hundreds against England in England and the closest anyone had come to it since was Ricky Ponting in 2005, with 1544 runs.
Yousuf began his run with two hundreds in the home series against India. He only played a solitary Test in Sri Lanka, personally an unmemorable one, but a double-century at Lord's sparked off a stunning second half of the year.
Two more hundreds came from the remaining three Tests in England, including a 192 at Headingley. He ended the year with three hundreds in as many Tests against the West Indies at home.
During the course of this magnificent run, a few more records fell. His first-innings hundred at Karachi meant that he had scored eight Test hundreds this year alone, going past the previous best of seven, held jointly by Richards and Aravinda de Silva. By scoring five hundreds in five consecutive Tests, he also became only the third man, along with Jacques Kallis and Sir Don Bradman (six hundreds in six Tests) to do so.
And just before he went past Richards tally, he had glided past Zaheer Abbas's record for the most runs made by a Pakistani batsman in a three-Test series. Abbas had made 583 runs against the visiting Indians in 1978-79.
Reactions to the record<table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="170"><tbody><tr><td width="10">
</td><td class="photo">
<table style="width: 64px; height: 28px;" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2"> <tbody><tr> <td class="photo"><nobr></nobr>
</td></tr></tbody></table> </td></tr></tbody></table>
Bob Woolmer
It is a marvellous achievement. I have had the honour of playing against Viv Richards and coaching Yousuf. Both are very different in their styles, Viv was a lot more aggressive and Yousuf more sedate but to break Viv's record is really an outstanding achievement.
Sanjay Manjrekar
The most striking thing about Yousuf at the moment is that it is as if he is batting in a trance. He is so calm at the crease and that mental change is the most striking change from last year. You know people will say that he played on flat tracks, against weak attacks at times but that is neither here nor there. He still had to break a big record and he has done it. What's good to see, apart from the calm demeanour, is that he is, like all good batsmen, cashing in on good form and making the most of that period."
Nasim Ashraf
Pakistan is very proud of his achievements and he will be honoured by the PCB after the match.
Hanif Mohammad
We are proud of what he has done and I hope this is the start of of something great for him.
Ramiz Raja
He's been absolutely brilliant this year and has done it against good teams in India, England and the West Indies and has done it home and away. I don't think he has made any technical adjustments as such, but he is so sound mentally now. Religion has played an integral part in his growth not just as a cricketer but as a person. I used to doubt his ability to see Pakistan through in situations before but he has rescued Pakistan from precarious positions through the year. A superb achievement.
Osman Samiuddin is Pakistan editor of Cricinfo
link>> (http://uk.cricinfo.com/pakvwi/content/current/story/270423.html)