With 4,968 runs in 60 Test matches, Azhar Ali will soon become the 8th batsman from Pakistan to score 5,000 Test runs. Misbah Ul Haq was the last entry into this club during the recently concluded series against the West Indies.

Since his debut in the summer of 2010, Azhar Ali has risen to become one of Pakistan's key test batsmen.

He has scored runs in all conditions, has been a mainstay at number 3 for Pakistan, and in more recent times has been one of Pakistan's most effective Test openers ever.

Since his debut, Azhar Ali is Pakistan's leading run scorer in Tests. He out scored Younis Khan and Misbah Ul Haq during this period; the two great pillars of Pakistan's test team.

Among all Test batsmen during this period, Azhar Ali has the 5th highest runs tally. And third highest among openers, behind only Alastair Cook and David Warner. In terms of his Test average, Azhar is at par with both Cook and Warner.

Given this, it quite surprises me that there is no mention of Azhar Ali when the world's best - Joe Root, Steve Smith, Virat Kohli - are talked about.

That could very possibly be because of his lack of success in other formats of the game. Rather, not the same level of success he has had in Test cricket.

No doubt Azhar Ali's batting suits Test cricket more, but his ODI record is also quite neat.

For majority of his career thus far, Azhar Ali batted at number 3 for Pakistan; however over the past two seasons he has been opening. It in this position, where he has truly blossomed into a world class performer.

His record as an opener for Pakistan in Tests is unparalleled. In fact, it is one of the best records for an opener in Test cricket.

Azhar's current Test average as an opener is the 6th highest average among all batsmen who have opened in at least 20 innings in Tests in the history of the game.

There is no one in that table from this era, besides Matthew Hayden. All those other batsmen played cricket a long long time ago.

Azhar has had a phenomenal two years as an opener in Test cricket, better than any opener has had for Pakistan ever. He might end up moving back to number 3 now that Younis and Misbah have retired, but I would really be tempted to make him keep opening for the rest of his career, given his unprecedented record so far.

Whether number 3 or opener though, I have no doubt that Azhar Ali is among the best in the world right now and he will end is career as a Test great and quite possibly as only the second batsman from Pakistan to cross 10,000 Test runs.

Over the years I have criticized Misbah no end for his ODI captaincy and for his ODI batting. I believe replacing Shahid Afridi as ODI captain in 2011 with Misbah was one of the gravest mistakes ever committed. Misbah's defensive approach crippled Pakistan's ODI team and we are all aware of the sad state our ODI team is in.

The same approach however did wonders for the Test team, and for that I applaud Misbah Ul Haq the Test Captain and the Test Batsman.

What Misbah achieved in his almost 7 years as captain of Pakistan's Test team is unprecedented in the history of Pakistan cricket.

Here is a look at his accomplishments as a Test Captain.

GREATEST TEST CAPTAIN FROM THE SUBCONTINENT

Number 1 Test Ranking for Pakistan.
Most Test wins ever for a Pakistan captain.
Second most Test wins for a captain from the subcontinent.
Most test wins away from home for a subcontinent captain.
Most Test series wins for a subcontinent captain.
First Test series win over Australia in over 20 years.
3-0 clean sweep of England when they were Number 1.
Pakistan's record and world's 6th highest run chase in Test cricket.
World's fastest run chase in Test cricket.
Pakistan's first ever Test series win in the West Indies.
Most Test wins by a captain from the Subcontinent in the West Indies.

These achievements by the team under Misbah truly make him the greatest Test captain ever for Pakistan; and probably from the Subcontinent too.


ONE OF THE BEST FROM PAKISTAN

Misbah recently became the 7th batsman from Pakistan to score 5,000 Test runs. He ended his career as the 6th highest run scorer for Pakistan in test cricket. One can only wonder how many more he could have scored had he played as much as the ones above him.

BEST TEST BATSMAN FROM THE SUBCONTINENT AS A CAPTAIN

Misbah scored over 80% of his Test runs - 4,214 to be exact - as captain of Pakistan. He scored 8 of his 10 Test centuries and 35 of his 39 fifties as captain.

He is not only the highest run scorer among all Test captains from Pakistan, he is also the highest run scorer among all Test captains from the Subcontinent; and the only batsman from the Subcontinent with over 4,000 Test runs as captain.

Among all Test captains, Misbah has the 8th highest runs tally and has one of the best averages among the top 10 highest scoring captains of all time.

MATCH WINNER AS A CAPTAIN

Misbah not only contributed to Pakistan's test wins as a leader of the troops on the field; he also led from the front as a batsman scoring more runs than any captain from the Subcontinent in Test victories.

Among all Test captains he has the 7th highest runs tally in Test victories, and his phenomenal average of 69.7 is the third best of all time, behind two great Australian captains.

FASTEST HUNDRED AND FIFTY IN TESTS

It is quite ironic that a man who became known as "Tuk Tuk" due to his ultra defensive batting holds the record for the fastest fifty and second fastest century scored in Test cricket.

When he got that century off only 56 deliveries against Australia, it was the joint fastest ever in the history of the game. It was bettered by Brendan McCullum.



Misbah's retirement is one of those rare Pakistani sport retirements that have come at a time when he was still at the top of his game. Rarely have Pakistani greats bowed out the way Misbah did after Pakistan's first ever series victory in the West Indies.

It was a match and series that will be remembered for a long time to come.

Misbah was truly captain fantastic for Pakistan and one of the best leaders to serve our nation. There hasn't been anyone like him, and I doubt there will be any in the future.

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Younis Khan is the greatest test batsman produced by Pakistan. Even though less talented than Javed Miandad, Inzamam Ul Haq, and Mohammad Yousuf, Younis Khan showed what sheer hard work, dedication, and determination can produce.

His numbers, which you can see in detail below, speak volumes of his contribution to Pakistan cricket. Beyond the numbers, his support to captains, guidance to younger batsmen, ability to build partnerships, and achievements as a fielder make him one of the best cricketers ever to play the game.

Here is a look at Younis in Numbers...

PAKISTANI COLOSSUS
He could have finished with the best average as well if he did not have an indifferent last test series, but the gap between Younis and the next best in terms of runs (Miandad) and centuries (Inzamam) is quite significant.

Some of his batting feats include:

- The first batsman from Pakistan and 13th in the world to reach 10,000 Test runs.
- One of the four batsmen from Pakistan to score a triple century in Tests.
- One of 8 captains in the world to score a triple century in Tests.

WORLD CLASS CENTURY MACHINE
Only 5 batsmen in the world have scored more centuries than Younis Khan in Tests; only 2 of them scored them at a faster rate than Younis; and none of them converted their fifties into centuries better than Younis did.

With a century every 6.26 innings in test cricket, Younis has one of the best century scoring frequency in the history of test cricket.

With the fifth best conversion ratio, Younis is even better at converting his fifties into centuries.

GREAT MATCH WINNER
For Pakistan, no one scored more runs or more centuries than Younis Khan did in Test wins. He played in 3 test wins less than Inzamam Ul Haq; however scored 300 more runs and 2 more centuries than the other great match winner Pakistan produced.

Among all batsmen, Younis has the 5th best average in Test wins in the history of the game.

What is even better is Younis Khan's record in Test wins away from home - he is the second highest run scorer in away wins and has a phenomenal average of 94.2 in these wins. And these do not include wins in his home away from home; i.e. the UAE.


KING OF THE FOURTH INNINGS
Younis Khan has one of the best records in the world for the fourth innings in tests. He is among the only 6 batsmen in the world who average above 50 in the fourth innings; and no one in the history of the game has scored more test centuries in the fourth innings than Younis Khan has.


BATTING GIANT FOR ALL CONDITIONS
Younis Khan is the only batsman in the world who has scored Test centuries in 11 countries - in all 10 test playing nations and in the UAE.

It did not matter where he played and who he played against, Younis scored lots of runs.

He averages above 50 in 7 of the 11 countries that he has played Tests in; he averages less than 40 in only 2 of these countries.

He averages above 50 against 5 countries; and not lower than 38 against any opposition.

Younis is the fifth highest run scorer in Tests away from home, and this does not include his test runs scored in the UAE. Needless to say, no one from Pakistan has scored more runs than Younis in foreign conditions.

In the just concluded test between Pakistan and the West Indies, Younis Khan became the 13th batsman in the world, and the first batsman from Pakistan, to reach the coveted feat of 10,000 test runs.

Here are some interesting facts and stats regarding the 13 members of the 10K Club:

1. All of the 13 batsmen have captained their countries in test matches. All of them, besides Kallis, have been appointed full time test captains for their nations. Kallis filled in on 2 occasions.
2. Younis, Lara, and Jayawardene were the only batsmen who had scored a triple century by the time they reached 10K. Besides Kallis, each one had scored a double hundred.
3. Ricky Ponting had the most centuries (35) by the time he reached 10K. Younis, Sachin, and Gavaskar had 34 each.
4. Younis Khan has the best 50 to 100 conversion ratio among the batsmen in the 10K club.
5. Steve Waugh and Alastair Cook are the only batsmen that were not averaging 50 at the time of reaching 10K.
6. Younis Khan's 70 sixes at the time of reaching 10K are the most sixes hit at the time of reaching 10K.
7. Alastair Cook and Sunil Gavaskar are the only openers in the 10K club.
8. Ricky Ponting had the best average on reaching 10K.
9. Waugh, Cook, Border, Lara, and Ponting were all captaining their country when they reached 10K.
10. Only Steve Waugh and Rahul Dravid scored hundreds in the innings they scored their 10,000th test run.
11. Cook, Lara, Kallis, and Jayawardene are the only members of the 10K club who did not score at least a 50 in the test they reached 10K.
12. Brian Lara reached 10K the fastest in terms of innings.
13. Cook, Tendulkar, Jayawardene, and Younis Khan are the only ones who were part of the winning side in the test where they scored their 10,000th run.
14. Younis Khan, at 39 (officially), is the oldest batsman to reach the landmark.
15. Sunil Gavaskar reached 10K in his second last test match. Younis has done so in his third last.

1. Barring injury, Misbah will end his career having captained Pakistan in 56 tests and becoming the 9th most capped captain in the world and second most capped from the subcontinent after MS Dhoni.
2. One win will give Misbah 25 test wins as captain, taking him past Alastair Cook. Three wins will take him past Mark Taylor and Michael Vaughan, and place him level with Sir Viv Richards, MS Dhoni, and Hansie Cronje.
3. Younis Khan is 23 runs away from becoming the first batsman from Pakistan to score 10,000 runs in test cricket.
4. Younis Khan requires another 146 runs to surpass Sunil Gavaskar's test runs tally of 10,122 and become the 5th most prolific test batsman from the Subcontinent.
5. Younis Khan needs one more century to become the first batsman from Pakistan to score 35 test centuries. If he scores two centuries he will join Rahul Dravid with 36 test centuries, the 5th most in the world and 3rd most by a batsman from the subcontinent.
6. Misbah is 49 runs away from completing 5,000 runs in test cricket. He will become the 7th batsman from Pakistan to score 5,000 test runs.
7. Misbah requires another 112 runs to surpass Zaheer Abbas' runs tally of 5,062 to become the 6th highest run scorer from Pakistan in tests.
8. Misbah is 47 runs away from becoming the first batsman from Pakistan to score 4,000 test runs as captain. Another 4 runs will take Misbah past Michael Clarke's runs tally of 3,946 and place him at 9th for most runs as test captain. 

It doesn't matter whether Pakistan's test team is the number 1 test team in the world or on their worst ever losing streak in test cricket, Pakistan's test batsmen continue to rewrite history. They continue to establish records and set new benchmarks.

First it was Asad Shafiq, then Azhar Ali, and now it is Pakistan's one and only King Khan, the undisputed master of test cricket batting, Younis Khan.

Younis has been a man on a mission for the past half a decade. He has piled on the runs, broken all of Pakistan's batting records, scored more runs and centuries than any other Pakistani batsman, is n the verge of becoming the first batsman from Pakistan to score 10,000 test runs, and continues to reach new heights that even other international batsmen have not reached.

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Number of Test Centuries
His unbeaten century on the 3rd day at the SCG against Australia was his 34th test hundred. This places him level with legends like Sunil Gavaskar, Brian Lara, and Mahela Jayawardene. Only 5 batsmen have more test centuries than Younis now.

The Best from Pakistan by a StretchMost runs, most centuries, and highest average among all batsmen ever to play test cricket for Pakistan. That too by a stretch, for runs and centuries.

Foreign Test Hundreds
Two weeks ago Asad Shafiq became the only Pakistan batsman after Saeed Anwar to score a test century in each of Australia, South Africa, and England.

Now, Younis Khan has also achieved this feat.

Test Centuries in all Countries
When Younis Khan scored a century against Australia in the UAE in 2014, he became the first batsman from Pakistan and the twelfth from the world to score a test century against all test playing nations.

Now, when Younis has scored a century in Australia, he has become the only batsman in the world after Rahul Dravid to score a century in every test playing nation.

But there is something more unique about Younis Khan's feat. He has become the only batsman in the world to score a century in every country that has hosted a test match - the 10 test playing nations and the UAE!

Dravid never played a test in the UAE; while Yousuf, Sangakkara, and Jayawardene have not scored a test century in South Africa, West Indies, and South Africa respectively.

Best Performer vs Australia
Till two years ago, Younis Khan had no test century against Australia. Now, he has 4, which places him behind only Javed Miandad and Ijaz Ahmed, each of whom have scored 6 test centuries against Australia.

Younis also has the best average among all Pakistan batsmen who scored over 1,000 test runs against Australia.

Frequency & Conversion of Test Centuries
Among all test batsmen with at least 20 centuries, after Sir Donald Bradman, Younis Khan has the highest frequency of scoring a century, every 6.06 innings, and the best conversion ratio (CR) of 51.5%, which basically means that Younis coverts 51.5% of his fifties into hundreds.

Pakistan has lost the series against Australia. They may even go on to be cleanly swept 3-0. But this series will be remembered for some special innings by Pakistan's batsmen; this series will be remembered for Asad Shafiq at the Gabba, Azhar Ali at the MCG, and Younis Khan at the SCG.

Misbah Ul Haq is currently captaining Pakistan in a test match for the 49th time, 1 more than the number of times Imran Khan captained Pakistan.

Misbah has not only captained Pakistan in more matches than anyone before him, he has also won more and scored more than any Pakistan captain before him. On many other fronts, he has surpassed all other captains from not only Pakistan, but also the subcontinent! He is undoubtedly at the helm of the most successful test team Pakistan has ever had, and is without a doubt the best test captain Pakistan has ever had.

1. Most Successful Asian Captain

While there are a few captains from around the world who have had far more success, Misbah is the clear leader among all captains from the subcontinent.

With 24 wins, he is well ahead of Imran Khan and Javed Miandad, and just behind MS Dhoni who registered 27 test wins.

However, in terms of series wins, Misbah now has 10, which is the most by a captain from the subcontinent. The current series win over the West Indies took Misbah ahead of Dhoni and Ganguly who has 9 series wins each.

2. Most Successful Pakistan Captain

Misbah has 10 more test victories than Imran Khan and Javed Miandad did as captains. He is well ahead of them, and will remain as Pakistan's most successful captain ever for a long time to come.

The past 6 years under Misbah have been magical for the test team. There is a stark difference between Pakistan's performance in the 6 years before Misbah and the 6 years under him.

3. Most Successful Batsman as a Pakistan Test Captain

Out of all Pakistan test captains who have batted in at least 20 innings, Misbah has the most runs, highest average, most hundreds, and most fifties.

He is at the top of the pile and will probably remain there for a very long time.

4. Best Test Average among all Test Captains

Among all captains who have batted in at least 75 test innings, only Brian Lara averages more than Misbah does.

5. Most Runs as Captain Batting at Number 5

Which test captains are most remembered for their sterling batting performances at number 5?

For me, Steve Waugh tops the list. Inzamam, Allan Border, Arjuna Ranatunga, and Hansie Cronje also come to mind.

Misbah is above all of these names and many others as a batsman at number 5 while captaining his team. He has more runs than anyone else, and only Michael Clarke averages more than him as a number 5 test batsman as captain.

6. Most Century Partnerships and Partnership Runs for Pakistan

When Misbah ul Haq and Younis Khan posted their 15th century partnership during the second test against the West Indies, they also went past Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf's record tally of 3,137 partnership runs for Pakistan.

Misbah and Younis now stand 5th in the world in terms of most century partnerships ever in test cricket. Not to mention that they are right at the top for Pakistan.

Their average is also right up there with very few pairs of batsmen (Hobbs & Sutcliffe and Langer 7 Ponting) ahead of them.

To think that Misbah has achieved most of this after the age of 35 is nothing short of remarkable. Most captains have retired before that age. Misbah is 42 now and still going strong, creating record after record for Pakistan in test cricket.

He has captained them to the top of the rankings (currently at two), he has led them to victories over all nations in the UAE where Pakistan remain unbeaten for 6 years, and he has created one of the most successful test sides in the history of the game.

Misbah is captain magnificent.

At the end of day 1 of the first test, Misbah became the first Pakistan captain to score a century at Lord's in 24 years.

On day 2, Yasir Shah became the first Pakistani leg spinner to take a 5 wicket haul at Lord's in 20 years.

Such is the class act that this Pakistan team is.

Both Misbah and Yasir were realizing their dreams playing their first test in England at Lord's; both of them had to prove to their critics that their recent success had not been only due to helpful conditions in the UAE but due to their own determination; both of them managed to do this and more forever engraving their names on the Lord's honors board.

Yasir not only became the first leg spinner from Pakistan since Mushtaq Ahmed in 1996 to pick up 5 wickets at Lord's; he became the first leg spinner from anywhere in the world to do so!

Only the second leg spinner in 20 years to achieve this feat.

Yasir now finds himself on an honors board that does not have the names of Shane Warne, Anil Kumble, Muttiah Muralitharan. The best leg spinners / spinners in the world never managed 5 wickets at the home of cricket.

Yasir's achievement is even more impressive considering that the last time a leg spinner picked up 5 wickets in the first innings at Lord's was in 1967! Almost half a century ago!

That is how special Yasir Shah is.



He was the fastest bowler from Pakistan to reach 50 test wickets; took him only 9 tests.

Now in only 13 tests, he has 82 wickets, which is the most any bowler has ever had after 13 test matches.

He is well on his way in becoming the fastest bowler from Pakistan to reach 100 test wickets; the current record is 19 tests held by Saeed Ajmal.

If Yasir can manage 18 wickets in the next innings at Lord's and the following 3 test matches, which is extremely likely considering the way he bowled in the first inning at Lord's, Yasir will equal a record that has been standing strong for 120 years now!

In 1896, George Lohmann reached 100 test wickets in only his 16th test. Since then, no one has managed it that quickly.

Given Yasir's current form and England's ability against leg spin, I reckon Yasir can get there in 15.

We all might just see history in the making in Birmingham during the first week of August.

There is no doubt in my mind that Younis Khan is the greatest test cricketer ever produced by Pakistan. There are very few Pakistan test records that he does not own. Those that don't belong to him, will be his very soon. He holds a few world records as well, and with the way he is going, he will make some more for sure.



1. Pakistan's Best Test Batsman

Younis Khan already has more test centuries than any other batsman from Pakistan; and 5 more than the next best tally of 25 by Inzamam. He is only 18 runs away from becoming the leading run scorer for Pakistan in test cricket; a record that has been held by Javed Miandad for over 2 decades. Younis is currently third on the list in terms of runs, but in terms of average he is well above the rest.



His unbeaten 171 that led Pakistan to a historic victory over Sri Lanka was Younis' 11th score of 150 or more, which is the highest number of 150+ scores for Pakistan in their history. He went past Javed Miandad who has 10 scores of 150 or more for Pakistan.

While Miandad's 10 innings include 6 double centuries, Younis' innings comprise 5 double centuries and 1 triple century. He is one of the only three Pakistani batsmen who have scored a triple century.

2. One of the World's Best Test Batsman

Younis is among the 10 highest run scorers in test cricket in the past 10 years. It is no surprise that he has played the least amount of tests among these 10 batsmen; significantly less at that. Among these 10 batsmen, Younis is one of the only two who average over 60; Sangakkara is the other one.


Yes, he has been better than KP, Cook, Ponting, Clarke, Kallis, and AB De Villiers in the past 10 years! Talk about being under rated!

Not only has Younis been better than his contemporaries, he has also been better than the popularly mentioned modern day great test batsmen. Here's a look at where the top 6 leading run scorers in test cricket were after 101 tests. It is so unfortunate that Younis has played only 101 tests in his 15 year career so far.


Younis has more runs than Dravid, Sachin, Ponting, and Kallis did; the same number of centuries as Sachin did; he is the only one along with Lara to have scored a triple hundred; and he has the best 50 to 100 conversion ratio among all of them.

And then all the names we hear are Sachin, Ponting. Kallis, Lara... Can you imagine where Younis would be if he played as much test cricket as these batsmen?

3. One of the Biggest Test Match Winners for Pakistan and in the World

Inzamam Ul Haq is the biggest match winner produced by Pakistan. His 4,690 runs at an average of 78 with 17 centuries in test match wins is unparalleled in Pakistan's test history. Younis Khan is not far behind and will probably end up a bigger match winner than Inzamam before his career ends.


In terms of averages among all batsmen that have scored at least 1,500 runs in test match wins for their countries, Younis Khan is right up there; behind only Sir Don Bradman, Inzamam, and Sir Gary Sobers.


4. The Best Batsman in the World in Tests away from Home

Everyone scores runs at home. Well almost everyone. A true test of a batsman comes when he plays in unfamiliar conditions away from home. In the history of test cricket, only Sachin and Dravid have scored more runs, and only Sachin has scored more centuries, than Younis has in tests away from home.


Furthermore, Younis Khan is the leading run scorer in the history of test cricket in test match wins away from home. He also has the most number of centuries in test wins away from home with his unbeaten 171 taking him past Steve Waugh's 14. And no one even comes close to him in terms of average in test wins away from home.


5. The Best Batsman in the World in 4th Innings of Tests

The 4th innings of a test match is the most difficult time to bat. The pitch has deteriorated, players have been in and out of the field for 3-4 days, and the pressure is at its peak considering that the batsmen are out there to either chase a target or save a match.

When it comes to performing in such situations, there is no one who is better at it than Younis Khan. He is the absolute king and by far the best batsman in the history of test cricket in the 4th innings.

Younis has scored 5 centuries in the 4th innings of tests, more than anyone else in the world. His 4th innings average among all batsmen who have scored at least 1,000 runs in the 4th innings is the highest in the world. He is the only batsman to average over 60 in the 4th innings in the history of test cricket.

Furthermore, Younis Khan's match winning unbeaten 171 against Sri Lanka beat his own personal 4th innings best of 131* and also created a new record for the highest score by a Pakistan batsman in the 4th innings; beating Saleem Malik's 155, which he also scored against Sri Lanka in 1997.

His 171* is also the 4th highest score ever in the 4th innings of a test in a successful chase, behind Greenidge's 214*, Morris' 182, and Bradman's and Butcher's 173*.

6. A King of Partnerships for Pakistan

Partnerships are the key to batting in international cricket. They help build strong totals, they help set targets, and they help chase down targets. And Younis Khan is the absolute king of partnerships for Pakistan.

He has now been involved in 61 century partnerships for Pakistan, which is the highest number for anyone from Pakistan.

He has added 3,137 runs at an average of 78.42 with Mohammad Yousuf, which is the most partnership runs by any Pakistan pair in tests.

He has 13 century partnerships with Misbah Ul Haq, which is the most for any Pakistan pair. He also has 9 century partnerships with Mohammad Yousuf.

Something that will never be captured by statistics is Younis Khan's impact on Pakistan's batting line up in terms of guiding younger batsmen. Fawad Alam, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, and now Shan Masood have Younis Khan to thank for reaching their maiden test hundreds. Each one of those batsmen reached their maiden test century while involved in a 100 run partnership with Younis Khan.

His 242 run partnership with Shan that set up victory for Pakistan has created records and that was not Younis Khan's first 200 run partnership with a young batsmen while guiding him towards his maiden century - he also put on 200 runs with Fawad Alam and 259 runs with Asad Shafiq.

This is the impact that Younis Khan has had on Pakistan's batsmen. Not only the younger ones, but even stalwarts like Yousuf, Inzamam, and Misbah have reached many of their test centuries with Younis at the other end.

He is the absolute king of test cricket for Pakistan and undoubtedly one of the best to ever play the game.