Former Team Pakistan cricketer Rashid Latif believes a lack of financial benefits is the reason why seasoned Men in Green batter Younis Khan snubbed his home side for Afghanistan:
“Younis Khan said no to Pakistan cricket to work with Afghanistan. There will be no financial benefits here,” Latif said during an interview on a local TV show.
Khan works with Afghanistan amid reports that he was approached by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for a similar role.
ACB Chief Comments on Younis Khan Appointment
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) adopts a mentorship recruitment policy that seeks only the top talent to lead their men’s team. ACB officials only hire mentors from the host country of any cricket competition and decided to follow the pattern for ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
ACB chief Naseeb Khan had this to say concerning Khan’s appointment as team mentor:
“Since the Champions Trophy is being held in Pakistan, it was required to assign a talented and experienced player as a mentor from the hosting country. We already had efficient experience with hosting countries’ mentors in ODI World Cup 2023 and T20I World Cup 2024,”
For example, the ACB hired India’s Ajay Jadeja as team mentor when they were at the ODI World Cup 2023 hosted in India. However, there is no confirmation if the policy will continue throughout Afghanistan’s preparations for future competitions.
Younis Khan’s Coaching Career Post-Retirement
Pakistan batting coach
Khan retired from all formats of international cricket in 2017 to pursue a career in coaching. The star cricketer moved on to mentorship roles as well few years after retirement. Some of his notable roles came as Pakistan’s batting coach during the 2020/21 tour of England.
Khan’s role for the Pakistan men’s national team was a revelation and helped boost his coaching profile. Feedback after Khan’s coaching stint led analysts to praise his work among players with the bat and behind the stumps.
Afghanistan consultant/mentor
Khan will later move on from his role as a batting coach to take on a temporary contract with Afghanistan in 2022. He became the Afghan’s consultant and mentor under this part-time deal in preparation for his return few seasons later. Khan’s output for Afghanistan during his temporary stint boosted his influence among cricketers in the team.
5+ Key Individual Younis Khan Records
1. Pakistan’s leading Test run scorer
Younis Khan’s longevity as a batter was unmatched for several seasons. The star Pakistani batsman recorded more Test runs for his country than any other player throughout his career. Being his country’s lead Test batter shows just how good Khan was with the bat for Pakistan in red-ball cricket.
2. Most Test centuries for Pakistan
Khan’s aggressive batting style was remarkable in many formats; however, he made his name as a reliable Test batsman. Khan bagged 34 Test centuries throughout his career. The mammoth haul of hundreds puts him high up the rankings among Pakistan players with the highest number of hundreds in the longest format.
3. Century in host countries
Younis Khan strutted his stuff across eleven (11) host nations where Pakistan toured in Tests during his career. The talented cricketer bagged at least a century in each location to cement his status as one of this sport’s most-adaptable players. Several electrifying performances from the star cricketer on tour ensured Pakistan’s batting dominance across many games.
4. Fifth highest individual innings as captain
Younis was able to bag 313 runs in an innings during his Test career. The mammoth haul ensured his 5th place ranking among cricket captains with the highest batting scores. Khan’s big-hitting heroics also placed his name high among Pakistan’s best batsmen of all time.
5. Dominance in the fourth innings
Khan’s remarkable performance in the 4th innings was a vital addition to Pakistan’s batting lineup throughout his career. The skilled batsman holds the record for most centuries (5) scored in the 4th innings by a Pakistan player. Recording such a high score at a critical time in the game cements Khan’s status as a reliable player under pressure.
6. Remarkable batting average
Younis ended his Test career with an average of 52.05. He is one of few Test batsmen worldwide with a 50+ career batting average. His high batting average confirmed his consistency and impressive longevity as a player.
7. Record partnership contributions
Khan formed lethal partnerships with other high-scoring Men in Green batters throughout his career. His inning-building skills were vital to help Pakistan stabilize the batting order and turn in positive results.
8. Fielding prowess
Younis doubled as a reliable fielder for Pakistan in Tests with 139 catches made throughout his career. He made out-fielding look easy for the Men in Green and contributed to their overall victories with great catching abilities.
