Younis Khan steps down as Pakistan batting coach

Pakistan batting great Younis Khan has stepped down as the national cricket team's batting coach with immediate effect. He will not be a part of Pakistan's contingent for the tours of England and West Indies that departs on Friday, June 25.

He had first joined the likes of Misbah-ul-Haq (head coach), Waqar Younis (bowling coach) and Mushtaq Ahmed (spin bowling coach) as batting mentor for the England tour before he was appointed as a batting coach in November last year. The two-year contract was supposed to last until the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022.

A Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) statement said that the decision to part ways was mutual.

“It is sad to lose an expert of the stature and experience of Younis Khan. Following a series of discussions, we both have reluctantly but mutually and amicably agreed that it was time to move in different directions,” said the CEO PCB, Wasim Khan.

“I want to thank Younis Khan for his contributions during his short stint as the Pakistan men’s national cricket team’s batting coach and hope he will remain available to assist the PCB by sharing his vast knowledge with the emerging cricketers.”

Both PCB and Younis have agreed not to make any further comment on the reasons for the former captain’s departure.

The development means that the Green Shirts will travel to the United Kingdom without a batting coach, while the decision to appoint Younis Khan’s replacement for the West Indies tour will be made in due course.

Pakistan will play three ODIs and as many T20Is during the England tour, which officially starts on July 8 with the first One-Dayer in Cardiff and lasts till July 20. The Test and T20i squads will then depart for West Indies T20Is between July 21 and August 24, while the ODI squad will return to Pakistan.