Younis Khan rubbishes reports of becoming Afghanistan coach following retirement

Pakistan top order batsman Younis Khan has set the records straight by saying that he will not take up a coaching role with Afghanistan after retirement. Younis is currently playing his final Test against the West Indies in Dominica.

According to Shukrullah Atif Mashal, the chairman of the Afghanistan Cricket Board, Younis Khan had agreed to take up the role as soon as he called it a day from international cricket. He was reported to have said earlier on Thursday that Younis was all set to coach the Afghanistan national team.

However, Younis Khan was quick to deny any such possibilities. The batsman was quoted as clarifying to a Pakistan television channel saying, “I don’t know where it (this news) has come from. It was 2012 or 2013 when Afghan officials approached me with a role as batting advisor but I was playing at that time. I have no intention of going to Afghanistan.”

Aged 39, Younis Khan is undoubtedly Pakistan’s most decorated player. He is the only Pakistani member to have entered the 10K club, with 10,056 Test runs under his belt at the end of the first day of his 118th and final game. On day 2 of the 3rd and final Test between Pakistan and West Indies, Younis was dismissed for 18.

PCB pondering new roles for Misbah, Younis

The Pakistan Cricket Board are supposedly looking to rope Younis Khan into the Under-19 set-up following his retirement. However, Younis himself is keen to take up a career in the media.

There have been a few Pakistani cricketers who took up the responsibility of coaching the Afghanistan national team. Former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq was also head coach of Afghanistan. However, he later stepped down from the post after being offered the position of chief selector by the Pakistan Cricket Board. Apart from, Inzamam, former wicket-keeper batsman of Pakistan Rashid Latif and pacer Kabir Khan have also coached Afghanistan.

With Afghanistan having adopted Greater Noida as their new home, there would have been several logistical issues in having a Pakistani national being part of the team’s coaching staff.