Former Pakistan captain Younis Khan’s decision to mentor Afghanistan’s national team instead of working with Pakistan during the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025 has sparked debate, with ex-wicketkeeper Rashid Latif claiming financial reasons played a role in his choice.
In a recent interview, Latif suggested that Younis declined an opportunity to contribute to Pakistan’s campaign, instead opting to work with Afghanistan.
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“Younis Khan said no to Pakistan cricket to work with Afghanistan. There are no financial benefits here,” Latif stated in a Geo News show, after Afghanistan knocked England out of the tournament.
Younis, a T20 World Cup-winning captain for Pakistan, was appointed as a mentor for Afghanistan ahead of the tournament. He joined the Afghan squad for a conditioning camp and has been instrumental in helping them adapt to Pakistani conditions.
Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) chief executive Naseeb Khan defended the appointment, citing the team’s strategy of hiring mentors from host nations in previous ICC tournaments.
“Since the Champions Trophy is being held in Pakistan, it was essential to appoint an experienced and talented mentor from the host country,” Naseeb explained. “We have previously benefited from working with mentors from host nations during the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2024 T20 World Cup.”
Afghanistan have a history of tapping into local expertise for major tournaments. In the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, they brought in Ajay Jadeja, under whom they secured landmark wins against England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Similarly, they hired West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo for the 2024 T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies, where they reached their first-ever ICC semi-final.
Under Younis’ mentorship, Afghanistan bounced back from an opening defeat to South Africa in Karachi with a thrilling victory against England in Lahore. Hashmatullah Shahidi’s men will now face Australia in their final group-stage match at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore on Friday hoping to continue their impressive campaign.
