COURTESY BY: https://www.cricingif.com/
Former Pakistan captain Younis Khan will continue as the batting coach of the national team until at least the 2022 T20 World Cup.
Younis was initially appointed Pakistan’s batting coach for the tour of England this summer and will now perform his duties for the upcoming trip to New Zealand where they are set to play three T20Is and two Test matches.
Younis’ responsibilities will extend beyond accompanying the team for their travels as he will be based at the Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre in Karachi.
The 42-year-old is Pakistan’s leading run-getter in Tests, becoming the only player from his country to breach the 10,000 run-mark.
“I am pleased to join the Pakistan cricket set-up on a long-term basis. I felt honoured when I was given the opportunity this summer and thoroughly enjoyed my time, and I now look forward to continuing the work with the same group of people on an important tour of New Zealand,” Younis stated.
“I am particularly happy that my scope of work has been extended beyond the national duties. I am equally interested and keen at working at the domestic level by identifying potential batsmen and then helping them improve their skills,” he added.
Younis’ coaching methods were praised by players during the team’s international assignment in England. Wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan and ex-skipper Azhar Ali lauded Younis for his expert advice that helped them make minor technical adjustments to excel in the series.
“However, I want to remind all fans and followers that there is a process to achieve excellence and while some improvements can be noticed quickly, this will require lots of hard work, perseverance and patience before the required skills are embedded and start producing consistent results,” Younis stressed.
PCB CEO Wasim Khan identified feedback received from the players as the pivotal reason for employing Younis on a full-time basis.
“I am delighted that Younis will now be with for, at least, the next two years as our batting coach. The feedback we received about Younis’ impact in a short period of time in England was excellent,” he said.
“His work ethics, commitment and knowledge are second to none, and I am confident that his appointment will benefit a number of talented batsmen who have either recently broken into the national side or are knocking on the door of international cricket,” Wasim claimed.
Additionally, PCB have announced former off-spinner Arshad Khan as the Pakistan women’s team bowling coach for one year.
Arshad donned the national jersey in nine Tests and 58 ODIs, managing to take 32 and 56 wickets respectively in the two formats.
Arshad has been involved in the coaching capacity with Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Peshawar Zalmi and will join head coach David Hemp in the backroom staff for the women’s team.
“This is an excellent opportunity to be working with women cricketers alongside David Hemp as we aim to collectively lift our national team in the upper half of the women’s draw,” Arshad said.