About 10 days ago I wrote a post about leading cricketers of this century, which showed that Kumar Sangakkara was the top batsman in both tests and ODIs in the past 15 years of the game.

No one has scored more runs than Sangakkara has in either format since the beginning of this millennium. Not Sachin, Not Lara, Not Ponting. No one.

With his 10th double century in test cricket this past week, Sangakkara showed why he is the best batsman in the game today.

No one in the history of test cricket has scored this many double centuries besides the all time great Sir Donald Bradman.

Sangakkara sits firmly at number two in that list, and he may well go on to become the first cricketer to break Sir Don's record.


At the conclusion of the first test between Sri Lanka and Pakistan, the ICC updated the test rankings for batsmen and Sangakkara rightfully found himself at the top of the pile. The number 1 ranked test batsman in the world, and surely the bets test batsman to play the game this century.

He may not end his career among the top 3 or 4 run scorers in test cricket, but he will definitely retire with the best test average, by some distance, among the top 10 run scorers in test cricket. And the best test average for anyone with more than 7,000 runs in test cricket. And the third best average for anyone who has scored more than 3,000 runs in test cricket.


Sangakkara will surely go past Brian Lara in the next test against Pakistan, but whether he will be able to go past the next three in the list will depend on how long he continues to play test cricket.

With Jayawardene gone after this series, it will not be much longer before Sangakkara also retires from test cricket. And there is enough hint around the Sri Lankan camp that both the stalwarts will end their careers after next year's ODI World Cup.

If Sangakkara does decide to play another season or two, there is a high chance that he will retire as the second highest run scorer in test cricket, behind Sachin Tendulkar.

The best batsman this century, and arguably the best batsman ever. Hail King Sanga!

Younis Khan is a legend. We have known about his legendary status for some time now and have always rated him very highly. You might want to read the following articles along with this piece.

Why Younis Khan is King
The Real King Khan
A Legendary Match Winner

Even though he has had some detractors in the past, there are few people now who will not agree with Younis Khan's greatness in International Cricket.

Today, in his 90th Test, Younis Khan knocked his 24th test century, which put him level with Mohammad Yousuf, and only 1 behind Inzamam's Pakistan record. During the course of his innings, Younis Khan also went past Yousuf's test runs tally to become the 3rd highest run scorer for Pakistan in tests.


It is quite interesting to note the similarity between the stats of Younis and Yousuf. It is really a shame that Yousuf did not play more matches for Pakistan. Politics, as well as, his own selfishness resulted in cutting short his career. Fortunately, Younis has withstood all that, and can do so for another few years before he hangs up his boots.

It is also a shame that Pakistan does not play as much test cricket as other countries like Australia, England, and India. One can only wonder where Younis Khan would be if he had played as much test cricket as the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis, and Brian Lara.

Taking a look at how Younis compares with test batting, you will be surprised to see some of the numbers.

Younis Khan is the leading run scorer among all test batsmen who have played 90 tests or less.


Younis has not only scored more runs than his contemporaries, but he has also average better than the likes of Hashim Amla, Mike Hussey, and Rohan Kanhai.

Younis Khan has performed better than most of the top 10 run scorers in Test cricket


At the same stage as Younis Khan, i.e. after 90 tests, out of the leading 10 test run scorers, only Sangakkara, Dravid, Sachin, and Lara had scored more runs than Younis Khan. Moreover, only Sachin Tendulkar had knocked more centuries than Younis Khan after 90 tests.

After 90 tests, Younis Khan has more runs than Ponting, Kallis, Border, and Waugh had; and more centuries than Sangakkara, Dravid, Lara, Ponting, and Kallis had.

Younis Khan has also performed better than the likes of Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen, and Michael Clarke, the current generation of batsmen who are expected (or were in the case of KP) to go on and become one of the leading run scorers in test cricket.


Younis Khan has scored more runs than Cook, KP, and Clarke had after 90 tests. Younis has also scored the same number of centuries as Cook, and more centuries than KP and Clarke after 90 tests.

Younis Khan is 36 on paper, and close to 40 in reality, meaning that he does not have a lot more test cricket left in him. It is such a damn shame that in a 14 year career, he has played only 90 tests, while the likes of Cook, KP, and Clarke, who debuted way after him have gone well past a 100 tests.

Can you even imagine the amount of runs and centuries that Younis Khan would have scored had he played as much test cricket as any of these other batsmen?

I don't think he can get to 10,000 test runs given the little test cricket Pakistan play, but I sure do hope that he plays a 100 tests and goes on to become Pakistan's leading run scorer in test cricket, because if there is anyone who deserves that recognition, it is Younis Khan.

Pakistan have embarked on yet another tour to Sri Lanka with the first test starting tomorrow at Galle. The two countries are familiar foes having played each other regularly in the recent past, yet this two test series has a lot at stake for both the teams.

Not much to choose between the two sides

The last test series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka was played in the UAE and ended in a draw after Pakistan completed a record chase on the final evening of the series. In the past 3 years, the teams have played 3 test series with Pakistan winning one, Sri Lanka winning one, and a drawn series.

If that isn't close enough, the last 14 test series between the two teams comprises of 4 drawn series, 5 won by Pakistan, and 5 won by Sri Lanka.

Furthermore, these 14 test series played between them over the past 22 years has not witnessed either team win two consecutive series.



That shows that there is not much to choose there. Both teams, however, are going to be highly motivated for the upcoming tests given the significance attached to the series.

Significance for Pakistan

For Pakistan, this is going to be their first test series since becoming the number 3 test side in the world, and they would want to keep their ranking intact, and look to improve it going forward.

Furthermore, Pakistan have not won a test in Sri Lanka for 8 years. The last time they won a test in the island was in 2006, when Mohammad Asif's magical bowing blew away the Lankans. Since then Pakistan has played 6 tests in Sri Lanka, losing 3 and drawing 3.

Pakistan are looking to turn their fortunes around this time and want to end their drought in Sri Lanka.

Significance for Sri Lanka

For Sri Lanka, this series holds a lot of significance considering that it is Mahela Jayawardene's swansong. He has already announced his retirement from test cricket and these two tests against Pakistan will be his last two. He would want to leave a major mark on his last test series, while Sri Lanka will want to win the series for him,

Moreover, Sri Lanka are coming from a rare series loss at home at the hands of South Africa and they will want to ensure that they don't lose another series at home.

With so much at stake, both teams will be looking to gain a lead, which can be a series winning one, in what is only a two test series.

The PCB announced Pakistan's ODI squad for the tour of Sri Lanka over a month and a half before the 1st ODI, which is quite early by PCB's standards. As always the selectors sprung a surprise on everyone by including Younis Khan in the ODI squad, 16 months after Younis played his last ODI game.

One really has to wonder where Fawad Alam was all this while when the likes of Imran Farhat, Umar Amin, Asad Shafiq kept getting chance after chance for Pakistan.

It requires no genius to know that Fawad Alam continued to pile on the runs in the domestic circuit, while mediocre batsmen continued to fail for Pakistan for the past 3 years.

It was never really explained as to why Fawad Alam was dropped from the team in 2010.

His last ODI series was against South Africa in 2010 where he notched up a 48 and an unbeaten 59 in two of the five ODIs he played. The knock of 48 came in that famous Abdul Razzaq game in Abu Dhabi.

When Fawad was dropped from the ODI team he had played 27 ODIs and was averaging 37.68. That is definitely not the type of player you drop from the team.

He was not only unfairly treated in ODIs, but in tests as well!

In his first test, he played as an opener, a position he had never batted in in any form of the game at any level. You remember how he responded? With a debut test ton! Fawad scored 168 in his first test becoming the first batsman for Pakistan to score a debut century outside of Pakistan.

He played only two more tests after that.

Fawad Alam averages 55.87 in first class cricket and 47.05 in List A cricket. Those averages are higher than all batsmen currently playing tests and ODIs for Pakistan. Those averages are even higher than those of Pakistan legends like Javed Miandad, Inzamam Ul Haq, Mohammad Yousuf, Younis Khan, and Saeed Anwar.

I think those averages are higher than anyone who has played international cricket for Pakistan. (I haven't checked but I'm quite sure these are the highest numbers, if not one of).

How can anyone ignore a player with those numbers?

It is not like Fawad has not replicated the same kind of form at international level. He has.

We at Well Pitched have always been a big supporter of Fawad Alam. We used to vouch for him back in 2008-09 before he became a regular for Pakistan back then. And we have continued to wonder why he has been ignored for so long.

Just browse through the following voices we raised for Fawad Alam:

Here

Here

Here

Here

and

Here

With the unfair treatment meted out to him by the incompetent baboons sitting in the PCB (read Ijaz Butt and Mohammad Ilyas), Fawad's last two inningS in the Asia Cup are solid slaps across those faces. The two innings are a solid reminder of the type of player Pakistan has so needed in the middle order but have been denied due to politics and nepotism.

Fawad notched up his highest ODI score of 74 in Pakistan's Asia Cup encounter against Bangladesh and was involved in two match winning partnerships with Ahmed Shehzad and Shahid Afridi in a record breaking chase.

If that wasn't enough to prove his critics wrong, Fawad went various notches better and scored an unbeaten 114 in the final of the Asia Cup against Sri Lanka.

Fawad could not have chosen a better moment to score his maiden ODI hundred.

When he walked out to bat, Pakistan was reeling at 18-3 in 4.3 overs with both the in from Shehzad and Hafeez back in the hut.

Fawad batted beautifully for the next 45.3 overs and was involved in two century partnerships - with Misbah and Umar Akmal - to help Pakistan to a competitive score of 260, which looked highly unlikely with the way the innings started.

Fawad has probably played a match winning knock in a final of a tournament. Not many batsmen have done that for Pakistan.

You really got to wonder where this boy has been for so long.

And you really got to wonder whether a few slaps are enough for the people who kept him out.

Pakistan owe their position in the Asia Cup Final to their hero, Shahid Afridi. If it wasn't for his match winning strikes against India and Bangladesh, Pakistan would probably not be playing the final tomorrow.

In Sri Lanka, Pakistan will meet a familiar opponent in the final. Even though Sri Lanka has been the more dominant team in the tournament, Pakistan should fancy their chances against them.

Head to Head, Overall

Pakistan won the last ODI series between the two teams 3-2, and their overall record against them is also better, which reads Pakistan 80, Sri Lanka 53, Tie 1. Even though there is not such a huge difference in the record in more recent years, Pakistan still leads the head to head 10-8 in matches since 2010.

Head to Head, Tournament Finals

The head to head in Tournament Finals however is even closer. Pakistan and Sri Lanka have played 12 finals with each team winning 6. The last time the two teams met in an ODI final was in 2004 in the final of the Paktel Cup in Lahore. Sri Lanka won that by 119 runs. The last time the two teams met in an Asia Cup Final was in 2000 in Dhaka, which is where tomorrow's final will also be played. In 2000, Pakistan won the final by 39 runs.

Shahid Afridi's Milestones

Shahid Afridi's batting form has been key to Pakistan's success in the Asia Cup and if he proves to be the difference between the two sides once again in the final tomorrow, he may reach some new personal milestones.

1. Afridi is one man of the match award away from over taking Kallis and Ponting to become the sole third highest man of the match winner in ODIs.

2. Afridi needs 3 wickets to over take Brett Lee and 4 wickets to over take Glen McGrath to become the 6th highest wicket taker in ODIs.

3. Afridi needs 60 more runs to go past Inzamam Ul Haq to become the highest run scorer for Pakistan in Asia Cup matches.

If Afridi is at the top of his game tomorrow, he will probably reach one of these milestones, if not more.

Sri Lankan Milestones

Shahid Afridi is not the only who might reach some milestones. If Sri Lanka's best batsman in the tournament, Kumar Sangakkara, and their best bowler, Ajantha Mendis, are in top form then they could become the all time highest run scorer and highest wicket taker in Asia Cup matches respectively.

1. Sangakkara is 145 runs away from Sanath Jayasuriya's record of 1,220 runs in Asia Cup matches.

2. Mendis is 5 wicket away from Muralitharan's record of 30 wickets in Asia Cup matches.

If either of those milestones are achieved, then Sri Lanka will surely be looking at lifting their 5th Asia Cup title.

Misbah's Milestones

Misbah has been a prolific scorer for Pakistan in ODIs since taking over the team. He has bailed the team out on many occasions and on others has set up victories as well. In this Asia Cup, however, it has been a different story.

Misbah scored 73 in Pakistan's opening game against Sri Lanka, yet Pakistan lost the match. Pakistan won their next 3 games against Afghanistan, India, and Bangladesh and Misbah's contribution in those games was 0, 1, and 4.

In two of those games, Misbah was run out.

What is interesting is that Misbah has been run out 7 times in his ODI career, and Pakistan has not lost any of those 7 ODIs - 6 were won, and 1 was tied, with 3 of the wins against Sri Lanka.

So it is not only Afridi's form with the bat that is key to Pakistan's success, Misbah running himself out is too!

Pakistan are the defending Asia Cup champions, and if they manage to win tomorrow Misbah will add another feather to his cap by becoming the only Pakistan captain to win two Asia Cup titles.

Interesting Pakistani Milestones

1. Moin Khan was the Pakistan captain in 2000 when Pakistan won the Asia Cup for the first time. It will be an interesting feat for him if Pakistan win tomorrow, giving him two Asia Cup titles - 1 as captain and 1 as coach.

2. Mohammad Akram will also be a part of a similar feat if Pakistan win. He was part of the team in the Asia Cup in 2000 and is currently with the team as bowling coach.

3. Misbah, Hafeez, Umar Akmal, Afridi, Gul, and Ajmal were part of the victorious Asia Cup campaign in 2012 as well. All of them will become the only Pakistan players to be a part of two victorious Asia Cup campaigns if Pakistan win tomorrow.

4. If Pakistan win tomorrow, Shahid Afridi will become the only Pakistani player to win the Asia Cup three times.

This Asia Cup has provided thrilling matches and one can look forward to the same tomorrow. Here's hoping for a cracking game and Pakistan achieving all these milestones!