Afghanistan have chosen Younis Khan, a former captain of Pakistan, to coach them at the Champions Trophy.
Afghanistan defeated England by 8 runs in their pivotal Champions Trophy encounter in Lahore on Wednesday, pulling off yet another massive victory. Afghanistan had already defeated England at the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, and this was their second victory over them at an ICC-hosted event. Ajay Jadeja, a former all-rounder for India, served as their mentor at the time and charged no fees. Younis Khan, a former captain of Pakistan, was chosen by Afghanistan to serve as their mentor for this event. In the same way, Younis also received no financial advantages.
Rashid Latif, a former Pakistani batsman and wicketkeeper, has now disclosed that Younis is coaching Afghanistan after declining to practice with the Pakistani cricket squad.
“In order to collaborate with Afghanistan, Younis Khan rejected Pakistan cricket. Latif stated on the “Haarna Mana Hai” program on Geo News that there would be no financial gain from this.
The chief executive of the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), Naseeb Khan, has spoken out on Younis’s hiring ahead of the Champions Trophy.”A skilled and seasoned player from the host nation had to be assigned as a mentor because the Champions Trophy is being held in Pakistan. When Khan was appointed, he stated, “We already had effective experience with hosting countries’ mentors in the ODI World Cup 2023 and T20I World Cup 2024.”
For those who were unaware, Afghanistan also recruited Dwayne Bravo, a former captain of the West Indies, to coach them during the T20 World Cup last year.
Australia will now play Afghanistan on Friday. Trott added that the Afghan side would draw confidence from their strong performances against the Australians in previous World Cup matches as they prepare for their upcoming crucial matchup with the Australians.
“We’ve faced Australia three times since I became coach, and we’ve participated in each match. Therefore, that should give us great confidence.Trott stated in the news conference following the game, “I believe that what transpired in the World Cup and T20 World Cup, and I tell the players as well, Afghanistan will never be taken lightly ever again.”
“I see every game that we play is going to be competitive and every game we go into I expect to win,” he said.
