Misbah-Ul-Haq recalls Younis Khan's message during the 2009 T20 World Cup final

Misbah-ul-Haq revealed what his former Pakistan team-mate and good friend Younis Khan had told him during the ICC World T20 final in 2009 that was played at the iconic Lords' Cricket Ground. The Younis Khan-led side overcame a spirited Sri Lankan team in the final to win their maiden T20 World Cup. The Men In Green had lost the summit clash of the previous edition in 2007 to arch-rivals India in an edge-of-the-seat thriller. 

'2007 was still in my mind': Misbah-ul-Haq

Speaking to a  news channel, Misbah went on to say that when they were about to win, Younis had come and asked him to pad up because he knew the defeat from the last tournament in 2007 was still in the current Pakistani head coach's mind and therefore, Khan wanted Misbah to finish the game and win the title for Pakistan on that occasion. 

Misbah-ul-Haq had botched it up just when it looked like Pak were in the driver's seat in 2007. Needing 13 runs in the final over, Joginder had bowled a wide under pressure, followed by a dot ball. The ex-skipper took him to the cleaners on the second ball. Nonetheless, he went across the line and played that infamous scoop shot the following delivery only to be caught by S Sreesanth at fine-leg as the 1992 World Cup winners snatched defeat from the jaws of victory by just five runs. 

Even though Misbah had padded up, there was no need for him to bat in that contest as Shahid  Afridi and Shoaib Malik did the job for Pakistan.

The 2009 T20 World Cup final

Sri Lanka could only manage to post 138/6 after winning the toss and electing to bat first as only skipper Kumar Sangakkara could score half-century (64) and all-rounder Angelo Mathews playing a handy knock of a 24-ball 35 lower down the order.
In reply, the Men In Green crossed the finish line without breaking any sweat by 8 wickets riding on a brilliant unbeaten half-century from star all-rounder Shahid Afridi (40-ball 52).

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(Image Courtesy: AP)