Lahore
Pakistan’s most successful Test batsman and former captain Younis Khan has been appointed as the men’s national team batting coach for the upcoming tour of England, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced here on Tuesday. In addition to Younis, 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 pre-series and series details will be announced in due course. 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. Furthermore, and as part of the tour arrangement, additional players will be sent to England, which makes it even more important to have equally capable coaches to provide best training and preparation opportunities to the players. Younis, 42, scored 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 No.1 position in the ICC rankings. Against England, Younis holds an equally impressive record. In 16 innings of nine Tests in England, the champion batsman scored 810 runs at over 50 with two centuries (218 at The Oval in 2016 and 173 at Headingley in 2006) and three half-centuries.
In two Tests in Pakistan and six in the United Arab Emirates, he scored a total of 616 runs at just under 50 with two centuries (127 and 118 in Dubai) and one half-century. With 139 catches in Tests, Younis cemented himself as Pakistan’s best fielder and 13th overall in the history of the game. Separately, Younis had a season with Yorkshire in the 2007 English County Championship in which he amassed 824 runs in 13 matches at an average of 48.47. PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan said: “I am delighted that someone of the stature and incredible batting record of Younis Khan has agreed to join the Pakistan cricket set-up as national men’s team batting coach. When I spoke with him, his commitment and enthusiasm to take up this assignment and serve his country was never in doubt and he jumped at the opportunity.
“Younis’ work ethics, commitment to match preparation, game awareness and tactics in the English conditions will be invaluable. He is a role model to a number of current players and is hugely respected. I have no doubt that the squad will benefit from the immense value that he will bring, both on and off the field. “Mushtaq knows the English conditions as well as anyone, having spent a lot of time playing county cricket and working with the England cricket team.
Apart from guiding the spinners and playing a mentor’s role, Mushtaq can be helpful to Misbah in match planning and preparations. “It is crucial that the side understands the conditions that they will encounter in the upcoming series and so having the experience of the likes of Younis Khan and Mushtaq Ahmed to compliment head coach Misbah-ul-Haq and fast bowling coach Waqar Younis will be invaluable.
“These appointments are part of the PCB’s commitment to help and support Misbah and his team to achieve the objectives of producing strong performances that can help the national side to once again become a force to be reckoned with.” Younis Khan said: “For me, there has never been a bigger honour and a better feeling than to represent my country and I feel privileged to have been again offered the opportunity to serve it for a challenging but exciting tour of England.—APP
