Pakistan captain Younus Khan will never forget the dropped catch that proved so costly in the Champions Trophy semifinal loss to New Zealand. Younus, who opted to play in the tournament despite fracturing a finger in a warm-up match, put down a simple chance off Grant Elliott when the New Zealand batsman was on 42. South African-born Elliott went on to score an unbeaten 75 in a successful Kiwi run chase.

“It will stay with me for the rest of my life,†Younus said in the southern port city of Karachi. “Maybe the result could have been different had I not dropped that catch.†He said he decided to play with a broken finger as he was desperate to win a second international title in 2009 following Pakistan’s victory in the World Twenty20 in July.

“I wanted to win another big tournament this year and give a gift to my countrymen,†he said. Another motivation was the venue. The ICC shifted the Champions Trophy from Pakistan to South Africa after gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan Test team’s bus

at Lahore on March 3, killing six police officials and a van driver and injuring players and staff.

“We have been sidelined, it was my wish to bring back

the trophy to Pakistan,†said Younus, who declined to

comment on contentious umpiring decisions in the loss