In a surprising revelation, the former Crket Rashid Latif revealed the reason behind the decision Younis Khan Da mentor mentor Afghanistan instead of Pakistan during ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Younis, a legendary figure in Pakistan, was appointed mentor of the Afghan Cricket (ACB) Committee on the eve of the tournament, currently underway in Pakistan and UAE.
Why did Younis Khan join Afghanistan as a mentor?
According to Latif, Younis has rejected the opportunity to work with the Pakistani cricket team due to lack of financial benefits. “Younis Khan said no to Pakistan Crixket to work with Afghanistan. There are no financial benefits here,” Latif cited during a recent interview with GeneS. This statement caused a discussion of the financial incentives offered by PCB compared to those provided by the ACB.
Impact Younis Khan on Afghanistan
The involvement of Younis Khan in Afghanistan was crucial for their impressive performance in the tournament. Under his mentoring, Afghanistan recorded a crucial victory over Englandmaintaining its semi -final hopes in life. The ACB defended the appointment, citing strategic importance to employing mentor from the host states, a tactic that gave positive results in previous tournaments.
The Afghanistan strategy for the use of local expertise was successful, and previous mentors such as Ajay Jadej and Dwayne Bravo contributed to significant victories in the main tournaments. In 2023, Odi World Cup in India, Afghanistan brought Jadej, under which they secured historical victories against England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Similarly, they hired former bravo skipper for West Indies for the 2024 T20 World Cup in the US and West India, where they reached their first ever ICC semi-finals.
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ACB Strategic Decision
The ACB decision to name Younis for a mentor was influenced by the location of the tournament in Pakistan. “Since the champion trophy is held in Pakistan, it was crucial to name the experienced and talented mentor from the host country,” “ Explained Naseb Khan, ACB Executive Director, said a statement for the public. This strategic move allowed Afghanistan to gain a valuable insight into playing conditions in Pakistan, which was crucial in their campaign.
Meanwhile, the early exit of Pakistan from the tournament caused broad criticism, and their performance was especially insidious. The contrast between the progress of Afghanistan and the fight of Pakistan has pointed to the influence of strategic mentoring in the international cryr. Pakistan, the tournament hosts, were eliminated after they lost consecutive matches in New Zealand and India.
Also read: Here’s how much prize money Pakistan will get after their early exit from the 2025 champion trophy
