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| Monday, 27 December 2004 |
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Youhana's special Christmas present - a Test century MELBOURNE, Australia, Sunday (AFP) - Yousuf Youhana, the first Christian to captain Pakistan's cricket team, received his best Christmas present with a century against all-conquering Australia in the Boxing Day Test here on Sunday. The 30-year-old right-hander took up the cudgels as team captain when Inzamam-ul-Haq failed to recover from a lower back injury leaving Youhana with the daunting task of leading Pakistan back from their nightmare 491-run thrashing in last week's first Perth Test. Youhana, who along with Inzamam and coach Bob Woolmer had his effigy put on fire by angry cricket fans back home in response to their record defeat, scored his 12th overall Test century and first against the Australians with a brilliant 111 off 134 balls with 11 fours and four sixes. Pakistan, who surrendered meekly for 72 in their second innings in Perth, showed more resolve and steel on Sunday as they amassed 318 for six against the best bowling attack in Test cricket. Youhana is the only Christian among the predominantly Muslim Pakistan team and had a Christmas Day dinner with his teammates at their Melbourne hotel. "They arranged a special Christmas dinner yesterday for the whole team and everybody wished me the best and I got some calls from Pakistan, so I am really happy," Youhana said. Asked if he received lots of presents, the Pakistan team manager Haroon Rashid said: "I think this is the best present that he got scoring a century." Youhana laughed when asked his reaction to his effigy being burnt by angry fans in Karachi last week after the Perth Test debacle. "It's part of the country... they love their cricket and love us as well, they are aggressive people," he said. Rashid added: "The players are used to this kind of treatment, it never bothers them whatever happens in Pakistan, they just want to concentrate on their cricket. "When they perform well they (fans) shower them with petals and all that and when they perform badly they get this treatment." Youhana said he felt a lot of responsibility to perform when Inzamam withdrew from the team late on Saturday. "Inzamam is the best player in the team and with him not playing there was a lot of responsibility on me as team captain," he said. "It just gave me an opportunity to score runs, thank God." |
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