DUBAI: Record-breaking century maker Younis Khan Saturday said he considered skipping the Test series against Australia after being left out of the preceding one-day series.

The 36-year-old right-hander smashed an unbeaten 103 as Pakistan reached 286-2 declared in their second innings in the first Test, a lead of 437 before Australia slumped to at 59-4 at close on the fourth day.

Australia still need another 379 to win or bat throughout 90 overs on Sunday.

Younis’s 26th hundred and his second in the match helped him overhaul Inzamam-ul Haq’s record of most centuries by a Pakistani batsman.

He also became only the seventh Pakistan player to score twin hundreds in a Test and the first to do so against Australia.

But it would not have happened at all had Younis decided not to play the Tests after being snubbed for the one-day series which Pakistan lost 3-0.

“I had thought that it was easy to quit, it was an easy option but I have never chosen the easier option in my life,” said Younis after his twin hundreds.

Younis said his family and friends motivated him to play the Tests.

“Everyone backed me. It was a bad episode but my friends and family motivated me saying that this is the time you can have a hundred and beat Inzi’s record and I didn’t have a hundred against Australia so I took that challenge,” said Younis.

“At one point I was thinking not to go for the Test matches because Australia are a top ranking team. “Younis said he always stayed positive.

“It all comes when you think positively, and I was motivated by my family and now I am a proud Pakistani beating Inzi’s record.”

Australian skipper Michael Clarke, meanwhile, praised Younis as a “gentleman of the game”.

“Younis is a very good player and has been for a long time. I found out yesterday this is only his 93rd Test match, I thought he’d played a lot more than that.

“He’s one of the gentlemen of our game, a class player,” said Clarke of the Pakistani batsman.

Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2014