...it was not just a public façade. It isn’t – a more charming and cheerful chap you couldn’t hope to find. He is going to be a popular player at Yorkshire next season.

 

I started by asking Younus how Pakistan’s tour of South Africa had gone.

 

Yeah it’s good. We play very well but we lose the series. We played very well in the last three of four games. We’re now getting ready for the one day series against South Africa and preparing for tomorrow’s Twenty20 Cup.

 

And you’ll be using the one day series to prepare for the World Cup?

 

Yeah. It’s good for us that before the World Cup we have a tough series against South Africa and they won against Australia last series so it’s good for us to play in these conditions against a good side. It will help us when it comes to the World Cup.

 

From the bits and pieces I’ve managed to catch on Sky you appear to have been in decent form yourself.

 

Thank you. Yes I had a couple of fifties and it was good for me against South Africa.

 

We know you best in England from the Pakistan tour here last summer. I was lucky enough to be at Headingley when you had that fantastic partnership with Mohammad Yousuf. One of the contributors to our message board described it as ‘the best Partnership I have ever seen.’ You must have enjoyed being a part of that?

 

Oh thank you. Yes, very much. It was very good at that Test match. We won the toss and put in England and in our innings the pitch was very good and in great condition and you have to use the conditions well.

 

And the only way England could get you out that day was to run you out wasn’t it?

 

Yeah (laughs)

 

What would you have learned from playing in England last summer – about the Headingley pitch, the ground and the fans?

 

That innings played a part in me wanting to come to Yorkshire. If you play well on the ground and then after that they make you an offer to play for them for 5 or 6 months you already know about the condition of the pitch, the people and the ground. After that there is a large Muslim community as well, so that’s good for me when I’m settling in there. I will be the first Pakistani to play for Yorkshire so I’m very keen about that.

 

In 2005 I played for Nottinghamshire – only for a month. Certainly after that I am planning that if anybody offered me I’d want a full season. That’s good for me as I can go there and see the whole environment. When I was in form for Nottinghamshire and then suddenly my contract was finished. I’m keen to have a full contract.

 

For any batsman your form can go up and down so with a full season you can have a really good crack at it.

 

Yes. It’s like a family you know. If you go there and play for 5 or 6 months you know about the whole county, the people and the management and especially your team mates. When I was at Nottinghamshire for one month I was just getting used to everything and then my season was finished. So this time, Inshallah, I enjoy and try my best for the county.

 

Going back to the Headingley Test the other memory I have was of Inzamam being out hit wicket to Monty Panesar, where he did the jig and fell on to his stumps. Did the rest of the Pakistan side have a good laugh at that?

 

Everybody knows about Inzy, he’s like a sleeping giant (laughs). He has his own way of play and everybody knows about Inzy because he’s a great player and he has his own style. Things like that – it’s happening with everyone you know (laughs).

 

It was a good game. After Lord’s and Old Trafford we had a good chance of winning the Test and then suddenly in the second innings we just fall down.

 

That series didn’t finish on the right note did it? At The Oval with the ball tampering incident it was a bad way to end, because it had been a good series until then hadn’t it?

 

Yeah, absolutely it had been a good series. If you see Mohammad Yousuf’s 202 at Lord’s and two or three hundreds from England as well especially from Collingwood with 186. Then we went to Old Trafford and Harmison had a good match, and then certainly after that we had a good game in Leeds. We had good performances from both of the teams and then the ending was not a happy ending. We love our cricket and love playing against the hard teams so everyone was seriously disappointed about the way things finished at The Oval.

 

I’ve read somewhere that opposition players are told not to sledge you or chat to you when you bat as this just makes you play better. Is that true?

 

If you see the first two Test matches against South Africa they seemed to come hard at me, especially and that happens all of the time. If you see me in the one-day at The Rose Bowl they were after me and chatting with me and trying to upset me. I love that and these things motivate me more.

 

You bat at number three for Pakistan. Is that your preferred position?

 

I was used in the past to bat at number 5 or 6 in the middle order, but we lost the opening combination and the number 3 so they were suddenly asking me and I told Bob Woolmer and Inzamam that I was ready to bat at 3. If you see my whole career I used to be 5 or 6, but suddenly the team needs me in a tough job in the top positions and I do it for the team, no problem for me. Whether I am 3 or 4, I don’t think like that. I don’t think the numbers make a difference – I’m not like that.

 

When it was announced that you were coming to Yorkshire Geoff Boycott’s name was mentioned as part of the decision making process. How much did he influence you?

 

Rameez Raja approached me, when I was playing the first one-day match in England, and he told me that Geoffrey wanted to talk with me. Rameez told me that he wanted to see if I would like to play the next season for Yorkshire. I didn’t talk with Geoffrey then, but in the last Test match Geoffrey was there and I talked to him for around half an hour or so. He is really keen for the club you know. He is a very keen boy for the club seriously. All the time he is talking about club do this, we do that. He is really keen about Yorkshire.

 

How excited are you about coming to play for Yorkshire?

 

It is to me a dream come true because I wanted something like that. I’ll go there and see the whole management. I’m like that – I’m not just a player I want to know what’s going on and I’m very excited about that. I have a lot of time there – 5 or 6 months – so I hope I learn a lot of things from Yorkshire.

 

What would you say you will bring to the club? When I’ve seen you at grounds with Pakistan you always appear to be very smiley and happy. Do you think you will have a positive influence on the team?

 

Yeah, people love me because of my character. If you see me talk with the umpires and with the bowlers and the way I play is energetic and on the camera I have a smile on my face. So I want to bring that to the Yorkshire club.

 

Are you a player that sets yourself targets for how many runs you want to score?

 

My targets are in a game and on the ball I’m facing. If you have a good ball then suddenly you are out and you have no chance. All the time I have targets. When I wake up I have a good positive attitude all the time. When I get my chance then I’m ready to cash in.

 

You’ve signed up for Yorkshire for the 2007 season. Do you see that as the end of it then or is there a chance we’ll see you back in 2008 and beyond?

 

If I do good and I’m useful for the club I will ask the club ‘I do good for you people give me more chance’ or something like that.

 

You are being funded in quite a unique way with the Asian Business Development Network basically paying for your season. Are you looking forward to getting involved with the local Asian population?

 

Yeah, If somebody looks after me it is my duty and in my nature that I do well for them and do one hundred percent for them. If they look after me like that I will look after them. If you look at my whole career I do not think just for myself. All the time I sacrifice. If anyone wants me number 3, opening or in different positions, my whole life, my whole career I sacrifice for my country and for my family. My nature is like that. I try my best to look after them.

 

I’ve just been talking to Arshad Chaudhry, the President of the ABDN and he tells me they have had a terrific response to the news that you are coming to Yorkshire and that everyone is very excited.

 

(laughs) Yeah I know that. It’s very good.

 

There will be a few of your Pakistani team mates playing in the county game in 2007. Is there anyone in particular that you want to score a hundred against?

 

Mushy is with us all the time (with Pakistan) and he keeps telling me that when we play we’ll do this and we do that (laughs) all the time, don’t sweep me (laughs).

 

So you’ll be looking forward to playing Sussex then?

 

(laughs) Yeah, I seriously am. Next season Mushtaq will be there and Rana Naved and Umar Gul will also be there for Gloucestershire so I want to play especially good against my team mates.

 

I’m sure they will remind you about it if you don’t.

 

Yeah (laughs) you know they know my weaknesses and I know theirs so it will be interesting.

 

Who has been your hero or biggest influence as a player?

 

Actually my all-time hero is Imran Khan. I followed him when I was a child, because I’m a Khan and he’s a Khan, but because of his cricket and the way he was playing and talking and that’s why he’s my all-time hero.

 

On your website you mention your elder brother who sadly died was a huge influence on you.

 

I have a good support from my family, especially my brothers. All the time they support me and they get talking about cricket – they are mad about cricket. We were six brothers and I lost two of them so at the moment we are four. I’m in contact with the other three regularly and they support me all the time. I’m the last one, the youngest. When I do well they are really happy and we share our good moments.

 

I also understand that you are getting married soon.

 

Yeah after the World Cup – straight away to Amna Khan.

 

And is your wife going to be coming to Yorkshire with you?

 

I’ll try for that. I will be there for 5 or 6 months and I’d like her company so that’s why I’d like her with me.

 

How do you like to spend your free time when you are not playing?

 

I do a lot of fishing. I have boats in Karachi and go out fishing with my family and friends. When I’m free I play a lot of football. I also spend time in my home cleaning and washing. I am also a good cook so I’m busy all the time.

 

And I understand you are an Arsenal fan.

 

Yeah. In 1997 and 1998 I watched it with Rashid Latif. He’s also a fan of Manchester United. I watched football regularly, but I wasn’t keen on your football, but then I saw one match of Arsenal and they played very well. At that time Arsenal was not the big club they are now. Suddenly when I started to follow them they were winning.

 

So it’s your fault?

 

(laughs) Really! I didn’t know about Arsenal or Henry or anything like that and then they started winning and I told everyone ‘look my team is winning.’ After that I followed them regularly.

 

Well I’m a Leeds United fan and they are not winning at all at the moment so when you are in Yorkshire I want you to change your allegiance and get them to win for me.

 

Yeah, must be, must be, seriously (laughs).

 

I get the impression from your website that if you could be anyone else in the world it would be Thierry Henry, is that right?

 

(laughs) Last time when I was in Nottingham I sent my shirt to Henry and he signed it and posted it back to me. He’s a legend.

 

Stewart Regan, the chief executive at Yorkshire has been telling me that your name is spelt Younus and not Younis.

 

My name is Younus Khan. I tell people that everywhere, but they don’t listen.

 

That’s the end of the questions Younus. It’s been an absolute pleasure to talk to you. Have a great World Cup. If you come up against England I’d appreciate it if you ease off a little bit (Younus laughs). Have a great World Cup and we all look forward to seeing you in Yorkshire soon.

 

Thank you.

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