KARACHI: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan has expressed disappointment at the decision of senior batsman Younis Khan announcing his retirement from ODIs just before the start of the first match against England in Abu Dhabi.

“I am disappointed at not only his decision to retire from ODIs but also the timing of his decision,” Shaharyar said, adding it was disappointing that Younis had decided to call it a day from ODIs although he was selected for the entire four-match series against England.

“Younis has been doing well and that is why the selectors felt he should be played again in the one-day matches. For me it is surprising he announced his retirement today,” Shaharyar added.

Nonetheless, he added, the board would give Younis a befitting farewell as he had retired from ODIs.

Chief selector Haroon Rasheed was also perplexed by the sudden announcement from Younis.

“When I went to Sharjah to meet the team management and I also talked to Younis, he gave me no indication he was planning to retire from ODIs after the first match of the series,” Haroon said.

“We picked him keeping in mind that we needed an experienced batsman in the middle order to stabilise the batting. We picked him keeping in mind our future assignments. He never discussed this retirement thing with us,” Haroon added.

The chief selector said Younis’s retirement would not hit the team as they had already announced a 16-member squad.

“The team will remain balanced but at no stage did Younis convey any desire to us he wanted to retire.”

Former Test opener and ex-national team coach Mohsin Khan however smelled something fishy in the whole affair.

“It makes no sense that after being picked for the full series in the ODI squad after such a big gap he should decide to retire after playing the first match. Definitely I think something has happened in the last 48 or 24 hours to have upset Younis who is very sensitive and a self-respecting individual,” Mohsin told a TV channel.

“I think it is wrong the way they have treated and shunted a senior player like Younis. Something has happened some message has been conveyed to him by the team management in the last 48 or 24 hours to have forced him to take this step,” Mohsin, who has also served as chief selector, said.

Former Test leg-spinner Abdul Qadir was also surprised by Younis’s decision.

Qadir, who wanted Younis to be included in the ODI squad for the England series, said the veteran batsman’s decision was as surprising to him as to all others.

“The [ODI retirement] decision comes as a huge surprise to me. Though, a player can announce retirement any time, I was not expecting Younis to leave at this stage, especially when he himself has been pressing the board to include him in the [ODI] team,” Qadir stated.

“Neither the PCB nor the selection committee wanted him to be part of the ODI team. But he insisted upon playing ODIs. Several people, including me, backed him but now he is saying that he has taken the decision after deep reflection and in consultation with friends and family. To me it is really strange,” Qadir added.

Ex-Test paceman Sarfraz Nawaz said if Younis wanted to retire from ODI cricket after playing just one game then it was useless to put him in the squad, adding it would have been better to give chance to a deserving player.

Published in Dawn, November 12th, 2015