Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar, paying rich tribute to outgoing Younis Khan, said that the veteran batsman should be renamed as Unique Khan for his selflessness and honesty towards country’s cricket.
“To me Younis Khan should be renamed 'Unique' Khan for his selflessness & honesty towards Pakistan cricket. Take a bow brother, You are a champ,” Akhtar wrote on Twitter.
The Rawalpindi Express also maintained that Younis’s retirement should not be seen as ‘the end’, adding that he should be given a role in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
“Younis Khan's retirement should not be seen as ‘The End’ but a start. Let's give him a role in the PCB and benefit from the treasure of his experience. Younis Khan was the broadest bat to play for Pakistan, a bat that didn't have the edges. Let's retire jersey no 75 as a respect to him,” he added.
The king of spin Wasim Akram, while paying tribute to Younis, said: “He is still fit but there is always a time when you have to decide about leaving.”
The legendary pacer further said that the 40-year-old has set many records which are a testimony of his greatness.
“It will be tough to replace players like Younis and Misbah, so Pakistan will have to work hard in Tests without them,” he was quoted as saying.
Just two days after Pakistan Test Skipper Misbah-ul-Haq announced his retirement from international cricket, Younis on Saturday also announced that the upcoming three-match series against West Indies beginning April 22 in Barbados will be his last.
"I would like to formally announce my retirement after this next series against West Indies and I thank everyone for their continuous support in my journey,” he said in a press conference.
Meanwhile, Shahid Afridi called Younis as one of Pakistan’s greats.
“One of our greatest! #ThankyouYounisKhan for serving country with such pride. I’ll always remember some great moments together especially WT20 2009,” Afridi tweeted.
England spinner Monty Panesar also congratulated the veteran Pakistani batsman for his super career.
“Congrats Younis Khan for a super career. A man, who could smile even when there was absolutely carnage around him. Don’t know how he did that,” Panesar tweeted.
PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan said that the services of Younis will always be remembered.
He asserted that it would not be easy for them to fill the void left behind by Younis and Misbah.
Over the 17-year span of his career, Khan has been a hugely successful batsman. One of his major achievements was leading the Pakistan side to a win in the 2009 T20 World Cup.
With a Test average of over 50, a triple-hundred, a double-hundred against India and a memorable partnership to guide Pakistan's 3-0 Test series win against England: Younis's career speaks for itself.
Younis is just 23 runs short of becoming the first Pakistan batsman to reach 10,000 Test runs. He has 9,977 runs in 115 Test matches, the highest run-aggregate for a Pakistani batsman in Test cricket.
In January, Younis also became the first cricketer in Test history to score centuries in 11 countries when he smashed his 34th hundred in the third Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), tying him with Sunil Gavaskar, Mahela Jayawardene and Brian Lara in the all-time list at 6th place.
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