Former captain Younis Khan stepped down as Pakistan’s batting coach today (Tuesday) in a surprise decision which the cricket board said was agreed upon “reluctantly but amicably” even though no reasons were specified for it.
The Pakistan team is due to start a tour of England from June 25 to July 20 for three ODIs and three T20Is. The team will next go to the West Indies from July 21 to August 24 to feature in five T20Is and two Tests.
The announcement was followed by speculation that Younis himself had decided to quit the position as he was not happy with his role and wanted greater say in selection matters.
According to a source, he was not satisfied with the way the national team is being prepared for the future. Meanwhile, Younis Khan also did not report to the bio-secure bubble in Lahore owing to his growing differences with the PCB management.
Another source claimed that Younis Khan was also not happy with the PCB management’s decision to send batting great Mohammad Yousuf to the players’ camp before the homes series against South Africa.
Younis Khan and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have a history of short-lived partnerships. In the past, the former middle-order batsman refused to coach the national Under-19 team when the PCB approached him.
Younis Khan left a coaching gig with the PCB three years ago after he was not provided with a suitable room at the cricket academy and in 2006, suddenly resigned as the national team’s captain.
Even during his days as a professional cricket, Khan and the PCB were never on good terms. Hence, the former batsman’s appointment as batting coach came as a surprise to cricket analysts.
