ISLAMABAD, Sep 16 (APP): Former Skipper Younis Khan sees himself in players like Muhammad Hafeez, saying the Sargodha-born cricketer has played and performed for the country.
Hafeez’s retention in the side was been criticised as he’s set to turn 40 next month, although he silenced his critics with a brilliant 69 and 86 in the second and third T20, respectively.
“The way he started the tour, there were many controversies. But I see myself in players like him who want to perform for the country. The gesture Hafeez gave for refusing the domestic contract and instead asked to share it among two three young players, shouldn’t we appreciate this? When players like me and Hafeez who at sometime were unable to perform, had faced a lot of criticism.
Then why can’t we stand up for players like him when they perform. Hafeez performed for the country and not for me or else,” he said this while talking to a programme ‘Score’ on a private news channel.
Younis also said that he was in talks with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over being appointed as batting coach in future. “I was always willing to render my services for the country. There were talks going on and you will come to know as it gets finalized.
It is very important for me that how much work I can do and I’m hopeful that I will have something to do, whenever I will come on regular basis on the board,” he said.
Speaking about batsmen Asad Shafiq, who scored a mere 67 runs across five innings and three matches on the England tour, Younis said he has identified some technical things of Asad on which work needs to be done.
“I have given it to the head coach and have told him to work on it. If I stayed with the team then I will make sure that it doesn’t happen on the next tour. Coaches can only convince you but as a player you need to fix those things yourself,” he said.
Younis said Pakistan’s Test Skipper Azhar Ali also had a problem on the tour, which we identified to him and at the end he performed. “I told him that whenever you go to bat just think that you are a top-class batsman. Don’t think that you have to sacrifice, when you are in the field as then you have to be the leader.
You don’t have to think that you have done 200 or two zeros in the past innings,” he said.
To a question, he said he would appreciate batsman Fawad Alam for the England tour saying he has seen his day and night practices and his fitness.
“I have been in off and on talks with him and I always suggested him to be ready all the time as you didn’t get the chance,” he said and also lauded former Skipper Sarfraz Ahmed saying he performed well with the bat and gloves in the side matches on the tour.
Younis also revealed that English wicketkeeper Jos Butler was keen to talk to him during the visit and even sought tips from him on playing sweep shots.
