Ruffled feathers in the Pakistan cricket camp finally seem to be smoothened down. After the Pakistan Cricket Board rejected Younus Khan's resignation for the last time, the skipper now looks forward to continuing his captaincy, and will lead the national team in the upcoming series against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi. Khan is also delighted by the overwhelming support he has garnered from fans and fellow cricketers through all the controversy and drama following allegations levelled against him and the team, of match-fixing and deliberate under-performance in their recent Champions Trophy defeats against New Zealand and Australia.
"Obviously I am very happy and delighted that the Board has shown so much confidence in me and given me respect. The amount of support I have got from the people and media is amazing," Younus said, reacting to PCB's decision.
Praises are all round. "He (Khan) is a good captain, he led Pakistan to the World Twenty20 title," said Butt of Pakistan's June triumph in England, led by Younis Khan.
Khan will hopefully be at the reigns till the 2011 World Cup, which was his condition when he went to meet PCB chairman Ejaz Butt in Lahore to negotiate his recall of the resignation. Butt, however, refused to set any tenure for Younus. "When I made him captain earlier this year I did not set any tenure, so there will be no fixed tenure. As long as Younus is fit he will remain our captain and I hope that he leads Pakistan until the 2011 World Cup," said Butt. "His reaction to match-fixing allegations was natural and had I been in his place, my reaction would have been the same. This was unacceptable, so we now want the team to get settled for the next series under Younus," added the PCB chairman, empathizing with Khan, who handed in his resignation in angry protest against his accusers.
Putting into perspective all the goodwill and support he has received since the PCB's decision, Khan admits he also feels pressured now that he feels expectations soar higher. The captain promises to work towards uniting the team and get more positive results from it in coming events. " It just adds that much more pressure on me to do better as captain. Since being made captain this year I have given my best for my country. But now I will have work harder and deliver more results than the last eight months as captain," he said.
Pakistan is due to play three one-day internationals and two Twenty20 internationals against New Zealand in the United Arab Emirates starting November 3, before touring New Zealand and Australia for a Test series.
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