Muhammad Yousaf 88 vs Sri Lanka at Peshawar in 2000

Mr. Devotor

Relive the forgotten gem from Peshawar, March 2000 — Muhammad Yousaf’s elegant knock of 88 runs off 131 balls, featuring 8 delightful fours and 3 massive sixes, played in the second innings of the 2nd Test against a strong Sri Lankan bowling attack.  In a match where Pakistan were fighting to stay alive, Yousaf’s innings stood as a beacon of class and resilience. Facing the swing of Chaminda Vaas and the wizardry of Muttiah Muralitharan, he remained composed, stylish, and fluent throughout his 171-minute stay at the crease, finishing with a strike rate of 67.17.  This knock may have come in a losing cause — as Sri Lanka won by 57 runs — but Yousaf’s graceful cover drives, his perfect balance against spin, and his ability to score under pressure made this innings truly memorable.  Watch this rare cricketing classic and witness the brilliance of one of Pakistan’s finest Test batsmen, Muhammad Yousaf, in action. A reminder of the times when elegance and technique ruled the crease!  Muhammad Yousaf Classic Knock – 88 in Style | Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Peshawar 2000.  #MuhammadYousaf #Yousaf88 #PakistanCricket #PeshawarTest2000 #CricketClassics #SriLankaVsPakistan #TestCricket #ElegantBatting #YousufYouhana #CoverDrives #MuraliVsYousaf #ChamindaVaas #CricketHighlights #VintageCricket

Transcript

00:00In the spring of March 2000, under the soft shadows of Peshawar's historic stance,

00:05Muhammad Yousaf carved out a masterclass of elegance against a fiery Sri Lankan attack.

00:11Chasing a stiff target in the second inning of the second Test match,

00:15Muhammad Yousaf stood tall amidst the ruins with a fluent 88 runs of 131 deliveries,

00:21a knock that sparkled for 171 minutes, laced with eight classical boundaries and three towering sixes.

00:28His strike rate of 67.17 in a pressure situation told the story of a man in rhythm.

00:34Facing the artistry of Muthaya Murali Dharan and the swing mastery of Chaminda Vals was not easy task,

00:40yet Muhammad Yousaf danced down the track, leaned into cover drives,

00:44and played the spinners with the calm compoyers of a maestro.

00:48His bat was like a paintbrush on canvas, every stroke a thing of beauty.

00:52Especially those cover drives, they were not mere runs, they were poetry in motion.

00:58He pierced the infield with grisky finances.

01:00His timing so precise that even Murali Dharan paused in admiration.

01:05Although Pakistan's fell short by 57 runs in a gripping contest,

01:09Muhammad Yousaf innings stood as the lone bright star in an otherwise dim sky.

01:14It was an effort that deserved more than just personal milestone.

01:18So sit back and relive this for Cotton Classic,

01:21the art history of Muhammad Yousaf at Peshawar, when grace met great.

01:28Very good bowling change.

01:29And the chair's rear bringing himself on.

01:33Getting the results straight away.

01:34The captain's injured and has gone back into the dressing room for attention to the next,

01:46which was caused by that collision with umpire Nazir Jr.

01:51Over the top, one for four, so the shots continue to flow.

02:08Joshua Gahana going after Céline Nawaz.

02:16Well that was a glorious hot base of Gahana.

02:18Just leaning into it, making use of the wits.

02:24He's on the up.

02:25I'm sure the younger player is in now, and that's a fine hit.

02:35Over the top, gone all the way.

02:38We had another six-hop near the Céline, and that was well stopped.

02:41No swiping about that.

02:43That was a superb cricketing shot.

02:47But when we take the Dharan's end, a great deal of confidence,

02:50coming down to Mosvindran, after Mosvindran has been now giving him

02:53an enormous amount of problems.

02:56Right to the Céline and straight over the top for things.

03:00Superbly stuck shot.

03:07That would have been run out.

03:09Alert work in at the short leg position.

03:13Josiane in there, and a rather strange looking attempt at a sweep from Gahana,

03:19out of his ground, and would have been gone through all the world.

03:24Backhand flick at the stump, no more than a couple of yards away.

03:31Phrenetic stuff out there.

03:34Real high drama with the Pakistanis, looking to try and pick up runs.

03:38Phrenetic stuff out standing in the field.

03:50Josiane at extra cover.

03:53He's seen some magnificent work on the boundaries by fielders who have thrown themselves after the ball.

03:58That's why they're in this position.

04:05Set effort by Wilson really epitomizes the mana in which the Sri Lankans have thrown themselves

04:10around throughout his test match.

04:14Certainly been the feature.

04:25Ball pitched on the turf before he got to the left hand, but he may have just got the hand under it.

04:31I'm not sure whether it hit the bat or not is now immaterial.

04:35On to his left, we couldn't see from there.

04:41Ball dropped in Dilchan, having a lot of work to do in there.

04:46And let me release a right smile.

04:55That detector, that's quite hard and set to go time.

04:59Another easy catch.

05:00The end of the overalls.

05:01One to a gate for football.

05:05Down the wicket.

05:07Out of the way six.

05:11What a stroke.

05:13Moose of Johanna.

05:15Easily lifting some exertoria over the top.

05:19And done with utmost speed.

05:22Full follow through.

05:23One, two, three and bang.

05:24Straight over the ball of head.

05:26Back in an injured side.

05:30Amwa off the field injured at the moment.

05:32Searching debatable as to whether he will

05:35back again in this innings.

05:38Talent guards the rear.

05:39His opposite number.

05:42To bowl from the pavilion end.

05:47Another huge hit.

05:51Six more to Yusuf Johanna.

05:56Take him to a thousand rands in set cricket.

06:06Two away from another half century.

06:11And a good time to hand over.

06:14Tony Kosia with Lincoln.

06:19So there's the statistic.

06:21And a really commanding way to bring it up.

06:28There's another one.

06:30The 1915.

06:32Just then it goes to four.

06:36Yusuf Johanna.

06:39It's been attacking beneath from him.

06:43And at least it's given the crowd here

06:45something to tear themselves up.

06:47And when he gets big, he gets big.

06:52Very big sixers strike down the ground.

06:58Eight fours and six sixers.

07:06And of those eight fours and six sixes,

07:08he's had four fours and three sixes.

07:10So he's had exactly half the number of boundaries.

07:16All at sea again from early in the early stages.

07:20He should have been out.

07:22It didn't look to be shot selection.

07:24Wasn't good against that off spin.

07:26But man, since then he's played some very fine shots.

07:29And that's a superb shot.

07:35Lovely use of the feet.

07:37And that's one of the best shots he's made so far.

07:41Well, it's my main tape.

07:42The hip loss is going to arrive here.

07:44It might have been the other one.

07:45As we've seen before, a candidate for a run out

07:55using a seat to that extent

07:57with those fielders very close in.

08:00He's got to be very alert to get back in.

08:04He's charging as he plays the shot.

08:07On the previous occasion,

08:09I think he sort of got past the man in close from the onside,

08:12took off for a run and would have been run out by miles.

08:15In fact, the fielder in there could have thrown it to the keeper

08:18to make the dismissal.

08:28Oh my God!

08:33Well, they've been plenty of appealing in this match,

08:36but that's a little bit of desperation.

08:37It's not really convincing from Miralitharan.

08:47Down the naked.

08:49And a beautifully taken on the drop kick.

08:52He's put it down.

08:53Pushpa Kamara.

08:56Got both hands to it.

08:57Miralitharan is absolutely furious.

09:01He seemed to have it.

09:02He is not a happy man.

09:05Pushpa Kamara moving to his right.

09:07He seemed to have the ball at his last and put it down.

09:14The question, why is he trying to hit it out of the ground with the beats himself

09:18to be able to clear the edge?

09:19He doesn't think this ground's big enough for him

09:21and he's shown that it isn't in most cases.

09:24With two hands to it, blasts him away.

09:27In fact, it almost went right through the hands.

09:29The disappointment for the Sri Lankans, in particular, Murali.

09:37Not a happy chappy.

09:38That was a magnificent shot.

09:46No ball has been hit harder than that in this match.

09:51Well, this is brutal.

09:53Chargers, momentum coming forward,

09:56and just smashed it down the ground on the offside.

10:00Here we go.

10:00It's the foot for foot.

10:01The charge is on and whack.

10:09Stopped it.

10:11Goodness me.

10:12The use of Johanna being flawed once again.

10:14Again, it's Kuspa Kumara, who is faulty with his sign of capping.

10:22It's all happening here.

10:24Johanna, once again, looking for the aerial route.

10:26And there you are.

10:27That's Kuspa Kumara, extending himself to the police.

10:32And just eluding him.

10:33So, Murali and Murali, certainly not impressed at all.

10:37Taking his head.

10:38Take a delivery.

10:44Drop chance, and the ball going to the boundary,

10:46bringing up the 50 of the partnership.

10:53He's gone.

10:54Led before on the back foot.

10:56Very similar dismissal to the one we saw before of Abdul Razak,

11:01playing back, and a real disappointment.

11:04The end of a fine innings by Yusuf Johanna,

11:07who gave of Pakistan hope when at one stage it seemed very little.

11:12But he made a misjudgment on this occasion.

11:16Muhammad Yusuf, formerly known as Yusuf Johanna,

11:20before embracing Islam in 2005, is widely regarded as one of Pakistan's finest and most

11:27elegant test best men.

11:29Born on August 27, 1974 in Lahore,

11:33Muhammad Yusuf brought a touch of classical grace to Pakistan's

11:36batting lineup during an era, often dominated by power hitters and flamboyants.

11:42What set him apart was his serene compoyer at the crease, silky smooth stroke play,

11:48and effortless ability to build innings under pressure.

11:51His cover drives were textbook perfect, and his footwork,

11:55both pace and spin made him a formidable opponent in all conditions.

12:00In test cricket, Muhammad Yusuf represented Pakistan in 90 test matches between 1998 and 2010,

12:07scoring a remarkable 7,530 runs at an average of 52.29, including 24 centuries and 33 fifties,

12:17with a high score of 223.

12:20The year 2006 was the zenith of his career, where he broke Serviv Richard's 30-year-old record

12:27for most test runs in a calendar year, amassing a staggering 1,788 runs in just 11 matches,

12:35at an average of 99.33.

12:37With 9 centuries, a record that still stands, Muhammad Yusuf was known not just for his

12:43piling runs, but for his ability to absorb pressure and deliver when his team needed him the most.

12:49Whether it was countering spin on the dusty tracks of India or battling pace in Australia,

12:55Muhammad Yusuf always stood out with a calm determination and unmatched elegance.

13:01Beyond number, it was the way his sport runs, with grace, timing and patience,

13:06that won the admirations of fans and critics around the globe.

13:10His contribution to Pakistan cricket is ashton Gold,

13:14a true ambassador of the classical batting style in modern times.

13:18If you like this video, please comment, share and subscribe.

13:22Thank you very much.

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