PCB mum on Grant Flower’s ‘knife to the throat’ comments against Younis Khan

Grant Flower, the former batting coach of the Pakistan cricket team, recently made some starting revelations, saying that Younis Khan once held a knife by his throat for trying to give him some advice on batting. The incident was said to have happened in the Brisbane Test during Pakistan’s tour of Australia in 2016-17.

Flower, who’s also a former Zimbabwe all-rounder, said that the situation had worsened to the extent that Mickey Arthur, the then head coach, had to intervene. Flower was with the Pakistan team for five years after being appointed back in 2014. Flower put forth the story while speaking on the Following On Cricket Podcast.

PCB refuses to comment on Grant Flower’s claims

In the meantime, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the national team members and the team management have refused to comment Flower’s claims. Nevertheless, a well-informed source in the board said that it was nothing, but a funny banter and the issue is being blown out of proportion.

“But the impression being spread by Grant Flower is not entirely true. Younis apparently had jokingly picked up the butter knife and waved it around telling Grant to just let him have his breakfast end not give advice at the breakfast table,” the source was quoted as saying on Hindustan Times. “And they also tend to add salt and pepper to incidents to grab headlines,” the source added.

The source also stated that Younis, who’s appointed as the new batting coach of the Pakistan team, is unlikely to comment on Flower’s words. Younis is Pakistan’s leading run-scorer in Test cricket and is their only batter with over 10,000 runs in the format. He retired from the game in 2017.

Younis’ first assignment is the tour of England which gets underway after West Indies’ series versus the Three Lions. The Pakistan team has already reached England and are in Worcestershire where they are serving a 14-day isolation period.

As far as Flower is concerned, he was removed from the support staff after Pakistan’s poor show in the 2019 World Cup. During the mega event, the Men in Green failed to progress beyond the league stage. Arthur was also released off his duties after the tournament.