JOHANNESBURG: Six years have passed since their humiliating loss to India in a World Cup match but Pakistan captain Younus Khan says the defeat still hurts and his team would be eyeing revenge when the two sides clash in the Champions Trophy on September 26.
In a 2003 World Cup match, Pakistan lost the match despite defending a competitive 270 owing to batting
‘It hurts. I played that match. We scored 270 and still lost. A score of 250 in these conditions is considered safe.
But the way Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag batted, and backed by Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh, we were outplayed. That defeat still hurts,’ Younus said in a pre-tournament press conference.
‘Indeed, we have lost to India in most of these ICC match-ups except only once. Now we deserve to win, going by the law of averages,’ he added.
Younus said he wished there were more matches between the two sides. ‘If you get beaten, it’s a long wait to get even. It keeps hurting you,’ he quipped.
Also hurting Younus and his teammates are accusations from former players and media back home that Pakistani players might be involved in match fixing.
‘Those who make these accusations should think before speaking. It affects youngsters. But being a cricketer from the sub-continent.’
‘We are used to such pressures. A player from the sub-continent faces more pressure out of the field than on it. That’s why cricketers who survive it are truly great,’ he said.
‘Somebody like Sachin Tendulkar is really great because he has withstood the pressure for all these years and still succeeded,’ he added.
Younus fractured his little finger during nets but played down the injury scare.
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