By: ChandrashekarBhat
By Chandrashekar Bhat
FORMER captain Younis Khan has stepped down as Pakistan’s batting coach before their upcoming tours of England and the West Indies, the country’s cricket board said on Tuesday (22).
His departure leaves Pakistan without a batting coach for their limited-overs matches in England in July, but the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said it would bring in a replacement for the matches in the West Indies in July and August.
Younis was appointed last November on a two-year contract that ran until the T20 World Cup in Australia next year.
“It is sad to lose an expert of the stature and experience of Younis Khan,” PCB chief executive Wasim Khan said in a statement, without saying why Younis was leaving the post.
“Following a series of discussions, we both have reluctantly but mutually and amicably agreed that it was time to move in different directions.”
He said he was hopeful Younis would be available for similar stints in the future.
The team will leave for Manchester on Friday (25) to play three one-dayers and three T20 matches in England.
From there, they will fly to the West Indies to play five T20 matches and two tests.
According to a source, Younis was not satisfied with the way the national team is being prepared for the future.
Younis, who remains Pakistan’s top Test run-getter with over 10,000 runs, has had his fair share of problems with the cricket establishment.
In 2007, he refused to captain the Pakistan team in the Champions Trophy. In 2009, he resigned as captain following a revolt by some players against his leadership style.
At the fag end of his career, he returned a cash award given by the PCB as he was not happy with the treatment meted out to him by the authorities.
