KARACHI: Recently retired Pakistan batsman Younis Khan was described as an iconic figure in the country’s history by the president of the United Bank Limited (UBL) while former captains and officials also paid glowing tributes to the legendary cricketer here on Monday.

At an impressive presentation held at the UBL head office, former Pakistan captains Rashid Latif and Moin Khan said Younis deserves to be acknowledged on every forum since he has played a huge role for the country, both as player and as a fine human being.

Rashid, while recalling his own early days as a player with UBL, said Younis is set to start a new innings for the bank which will surely be as good as his first.

“I remember the start of my own career when I played for UBL. I remembered coming to the old building along with Ishaq Patel and from then on, UBL never looked back. We produced many big names of Pakistan cricket but none achieved what Younis has achieved. Sometime we tend to downplay the word ‘talent’ but I would always maintain that if someone has achieved so much, can it ever be done without extraordinary talent?”

“What Younis has done is quite remarkable. And if he wasn’t talented enough, he wouldn’t ’t have made 34 Test centuries and 10,000 runs,” said Rashid. “ I’m sure Younis is not yet finished as he prepares to play a new innings for UBL in another role.”

Moin remarked that Younis will always be remembered for his values as a good human being and a superb player.

“I think what Younis has achieved in his life is due to his strong personality and upbringing. The lessons he took from his parents and brothers enabled him to become a world-famous figure,” Moin said. “Younis is a perfect role model for the future generations of Pakistan. It is heartening to see UBL arranging this very fine reception for the great player. I wish the PCB wakes up from its slumber and recognize Younis in a similar way.”

Mansoor M. Khan, one of the UBL executives who is also member of PCB’s governing body, compared Younis to late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan who gave a new dimension to music. “Younis is to cricket what Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan or Bob Dylan were to music. He is a household name. Younis has been molded by four things — hard work, fitness, dedication and determination. He is a great example for the rest to follow.”

In recognition for his tremendous services for Pakistan cricket, Younis was presented with a memento of the UBL building along with a cheque of Rs2 million by Wajahat Hussain, UBL’s president and chief executive officer.

In his tribute to the legendary cricketer, Wajahat termed Younis as someone as recognizable as heroes of other fields.

“We know who M.M. Alam was during the 1965 war, or Dr Mahbubul Haq (late economist who was the founder of the Five Year Plan) or Agha Hasan Abedi, who was probably the greatest banker of Pakistan. I believe that Younis is one such shining example. He is an iconic figure of Pakistan sports,” Wajahat said. “Over the years, UBL provided Pakistan with 32 players and six captains but Younis has emerged as the greatest among them.”

Many former players and sports personalities graced the occasion including ex-players Jalaluddin, Salahuddin Sallu, Abdul Raqeeb, Chishty Mujahid and head of UBL sports Nadeem Khan.

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2017