Yasir Hameed, hailing from the Pakistani city of Peshawar, burst onto the international scene and shot to prominence with his two Test centuries on debut against Bangladesh at Karachi back in 2003. He became only the second player in the history of the game to achieve this feat at that time. Hameed was an eye-catching stroke-player, full of sumptuous cover-drives and heavenly on-drives. His sound technique and compact defense was highly admired in Pakistan's cricketing circles. During his first thirty One Day International innings, he scored more runs than any other batsman and managed to become the fastest Asian batsman to 1,000 ODI runs in his heydays.
 
However, frequent slumps in form in the second chapter of his career kept him out of the national side for long spells. The failures began to outnumber the early successes and began marring a career that promised so much. Selectorial inconsistencies didn't do him any good either and Hameed failed to garner that sort of consistency ever again in his entire career. He was an incredibly talented cricketer and could have turned into a real pearl had things went according to the plan.
 
In this interview, he shared with us the details of a dodgy yet a funny incident that is often attributed to him, reflected upon Younis Khan's new role with the national side and also gave his two cents on the supposed benefits of isolation for a sportsperson.
 
Q: Do you back Younis Khan's appointment as the batting coach of the national team?
 
 
A: I think the Pakistan Cricket Board has taken a very positive step and I am extremely pleased by this decision of appointing Younis bhae as the batting coach. He has just hung up his boots from international Cricket and our batsmen will learn a lot from his experience.
 
Q: How is self-isolation beneficial for a sportsperson?
 

 
A: In my opinion, a top sportsperson or a top professional does experience isolation in some stage of his/her career. For me, it's a brilliant practice to gather together, evaluate and assess your thoughts and your mental standing. You are able to connect yourself with the surrounding nature and with the realities of life. So I feel, it's incredibly beneficial for sportspeople.
 
Q: There is a whimsical incident associated with you that is frequently quoted in Pakistan Cricket. It was about a player who just got out. You were unaware which player had been dismissed and you went asking around. Who was the player and how did the whole incident pan out?
 

 
A: The Pakistan team has always boasted such comical characters and I used to be one of them. I think the likes of Kamran Akmal, Salman Butt, Shoaib Malik and Shahid Afridi can scribble down a whole book on my amusing character. I take it as their affection and care for me for remembering such jolly incidents related to me till date. 
 
We were playing against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi and Sanath Jayasuriya accompanied by another left-handed opener had strolled out to bat. We managed to pluck out Jayasuria's precious wicket early and, if I remember correctly, Mahela Jayawardene came in next, a right-hander. As it often happens time and again with cricketers under crunch situations that they lose the context of the game being so involved in it, so I kept standing at the slip position that was originally placed for the two left-handed players. 
 
Despite Jayawardene taking guard in front of me and, I failed to realize that a right-hander is on the crease now. Suddenly Kamran Akmal, our wicketkeeper called out to me to come on the other side. I inquired him why upon which he replied that "Jayawardene is on the crease now". On this, I actually asked him further that "where is Jayasuriya?". Such was the state of my mind at that speck of time.