Younis Khan's dismissal was ridiculous: Waqar Younis

Pakistan legendary fast bowler Waqar Younis was left irked after veteran batsman Younis Khan threw away his wicket in the fourth evening dismissal has put Australia clearly on the verge of winning the first Commonwealth Bank Test.

After a first-ball duck in the first innings, Younis played an assured and composed knock to notch up the 32nd Test match half-century. His knock came at a critical time for Pakistan who were set a target of 490 runs by the hosts.

With over two days remaining the game, Younis’ wicket was the most important and the prized one. Bit, the right-hander committed a grave mistake when on 65 and Australia five and a half overs away from taking the new ball. Younis unfurled an attempt at a reverse sweep off Nathan Lyon that left Waqar Younis Khan annoyed. The right-hander gloved the ball, Steve Smith took one of the easiest catches he could imagine and the batsman walked off as Waqar fumed.

“That is ridiculous. That is so irresponsible. A man with so much experience, you don’t need to do that …What was the need? Pakistan needed you to be out there and you’ve played a false shot. Yeah, he’s got 65 but a very poor shot,” the former fast bowler said on Nine’s Wide World of Sports.

The wicket left Pakistan at 5-173, and two new batsmen at the crease under lights to face the new pink Kookaburra. Waqar continued his critique of the dismissal in the next over, highlighting how he believed the 39-year-old playing in his 113th Test had been rushed into the wicket by Nathan Lyon’s pressure.

“I’m concerned about how Younis played. Two balls before, the ball had landed in the rough and spun sharply, the extra bounce was there. Then this … he was not in control at all. And I’m lost for words. Ridiculous.”

Younis’s second-innings half-century had been a welcome and timely return to form for the Pakistani following a lean trot in the Test arena. Before notching 65, his previous six Test innings had been 0, 2, 1, 2, 11 and 0.

His first-innings duck, when he edged Josh Hazlewood behind, had prompted coach Mickey Arthur to conceded there “was a little doubt in my mind” about the veteran’s future.

But Arthur added Younis had his backing “for the time being”.

“Younis Khan is just a complete professional, he really is. (But) I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a little doubt in my mind. But I had that doubt in England and I saw Younis come out and play exceptionally well, albeit against a different attack. So I’m backing him in for the time being,” Arthur told ABC Grandstand on day three.