Younis Khan appointed batting coach for England tour

LAHORE: Former captain Younis Khan has been appointed as the national team batting coach for the upcoming tour of England, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced.

The PCB has also appointed wrist spinner and a veteran of 52 Tests Mushtaq Ahmed as the team’s spin bowling coach and mentor for the three-Test and three-T20Is series, which will be played in August-September.

The appointments have been made to provide head coach Misbah-ul-Haq and fast bowling coach Waqar Younis the necessary and essential resources that can help them further uplift the performance of the side.

Younis is Pakistan’s most successful Test batsman scoring 10,099 runs at over 52 in 118 Tests from 2000 to 2017. This included a career-best 313 against Sri Lanka in Karachi in 2009, which lifted him to the top position in the ICC rankings. He holds an equally impressive record against England.

PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan said he was delighted that someone of the stature and incredible batting record of Younis Khan has agreed to join the Pakistan cricket set-up as national team’s batting coach.

Younis Khan said there has never been a bigger honour and a better feeling than to represent his country. He said he felt privileged to have been again offered the opportunity to serve it for a challenging but exciting tour of England.

“I have never been shy of sharing my experiences and knowledge, and I think this particular tour provides me with an ideal opportunity where I can spend post-training time with the players to engage with them on batting techniques, bowler assessments, mental toughness exercises besides talking them through with scenario planning.

“We all know English conditions demand not only precise technique but patience and discipline, and if you can master these, then you will not only excel in England but anywhere in the world. With the quality we have in the team, I think we have a good chance to produce good results if we prepare properly, get our processes right and hit the ground running as soon as we land.”

Head coach and chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq said welcomed Younis Khan and said he is looking forward to reuniting with him as their cricket careers have almost run concurrently.

“When I took over the captaincy during a difficult period in 2010, Younis proved to be a great ally and support, and I am confident he will provide similar assistance as we head to England with a clear objective of putting Pakistan cricket back on the road to success.

“With the reputation and record Younis brings with him not only as a disciplined and hardworking batsman but also as an athletic fielder and a strategist, I see this as a great opportunity for our young players to hone their skills and learn how to make the transition from a good to a great cricketer”.

Misbah said the series in England will be one of the most challenging and difficult and they need to have the best talent on their side.