Younis Khan likely to coach Afghan cricket team: ACB Chairman

E-Paper | March 09, 2026

Younis Khan has reportedly shown willingness to coach the Afghan Cricket team after his retirement from Pakistan cricket, Afghanistan Cricket Board Chairman Atif Mashal said on Thursday.

While speaking to DawnNews Mashal said, "Younis has has been contacted to coach the Afghan cricket team and the board is currently finalising the details."

Khan is currently playing his final international Test match against West Indies.

On April 23, the 39-year-old right hander became the first Pakistani to score 10,000 Test runs in his 116th Test match played against West Indies.

Last year Younis Khan scored 218 runs against England at the Oval was his sixth double century, a Pakistan record that he now shares with Javed Miandad.

Among all batsmen who have scored at least 8,000 runs in tests, Younis Khan has the fifth highest average. Only Sachin Tendulkar, Jacques Kallis, Kumar Sangakkara, and Sir Gary Sobers average more than Younis.

The Afghan cricket team has previously been coached by the likes of Inzamam ul Haq, Rashid Latif and Kabir Khan.

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rRS

May 11, 2017 01:52pm

Very good idea....this is how your acquire talent in your organization. Proactive approach rather than reactive approach. PCB should learn something.

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Joe

May 11, 2017 01:53pm

Younis khan then will get a chance to visit india.

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Asif

May 11, 2017 02:07pm

Then better don't retire.

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M.Saeed

May 11, 2017 02:17pm

That would be a very dangerous job.

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May 11, 2017 02:21pm

Welcome to India and Delhi. Its very hot and not as pleasant as Mardan at this time, but you will be immensely loved here.

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May 11, 2017 02:21pm

@M.Saeed Why dangerous ?? He will be loved and welcomed in India

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shahryar shirazi

May 11, 2017 02:22pm

Inzi was the coach before. Yunus speaks the language and it will be easy for him to gell in

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nadeem Qazi

May 11, 2017 02:37pm

And why cant teach in his own country ?????

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Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad

May 11, 2017 02:41pm

What else can he do to make a honorable living after retirement from cricket?

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Jawad

May 11, 2017 02:41pm

I think its not a very good idea. He is a hero and should coach the Pakistan National team.

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Shahzeb

May 11, 2017 02:42pm

He shouldn't take up the job in the present scenario. PCB has already offered him a Mentor position.

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bossman

May 11, 2017 02:42pm

We Younis Khan to teach Pakistan U-16 batting. And we want to you kick hafeez and malik out of the team.

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Jawad

May 11, 2017 02:45pm

He should coach his National team as he is a National hero. He has many better option in Pakistan than Afghan.

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Riz

May 11, 2017 02:47pm

Younas a great player a great human but weird decision why not work with pakistan and help likes of baber azam harris sohail?

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Jawad

May 11, 2017 02:50pm

@Joe He can go to India any time he like. Not just after being a coach.

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sheer ahmad usmani

May 11, 2017 02:51pm

That is what our team needed. Welcome legend to Afghanistan’s fast-rising cricket team.

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idon'tknow

May 11, 2017 02:51pm

WILL BE A PROFOUND COUCH

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Lion of Khyber

May 11, 2017 02:53pm

Just so that you guys know it, he is an die-hard pashtun nationalist. He is a very straight forward guy who respects everyone, but deep inside he is a Pathan

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vishal

May 11, 2017 02:56pm

Some has commented that he should coach Pakistan's team instead of Afganistan team. When other people can work for the other countries instead of their own country then there should not be any problem for coaching him foreigner team. He is free to earn money from his skills and caliber like others.

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mandy

May 11, 2017 02:59pm

That means he is going to train Afghan players to compete in the IPL!!!

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Taimoor khan

May 11, 2017 03:03pm

@Joe Where does India come into this? Its not even mentioned in the news!!

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Arif Shah

May 11, 2017 03:03pm

Brilliant decision by Younis to have coaching experience before he is ready to coach Pakistan national team.

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Jawad

May 11, 2017 03:10pm

@vishal Well if he coaches Pakistan, as he has broken all the world batting records than its definitely a positive point for Pakistan batsmen.

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Syed daniyal ahmed

May 11, 2017 03:11pm

It's a good move in building your coaching resume. Afghanistan is a start.

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Rahul

May 11, 2017 03:19pm

@nadeem Qazi - *"And why cant teach in his own country?????"* Because Pakistan is a place where you go to kill your international coaching career, not to make it. Waqar Younis knows it, Grant Flower knows it, Mickey Arthur is currently finding it out, Bob Woolmer (literally) knows it.

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Raja farhat Abbas

May 11, 2017 03:43pm

@Lion of Khyber ...He is a die hard Pakistani first before anything else!!!!

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Waseem sarwar

May 11, 2017 03:47pm

Younus can prepare himself for bigger coaching jobs by starting with Afghans. I can't find any harm in that.

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May 11, 2017 03:49pm

@Taimoor khan India is Afghanistan home ground so all training will happen there like sharja for Pakistan know get it

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May 11, 2017 03:51pm

@Raja farhat Abbas what it to do with being Pakistani , he is getting paid there are many Pakistan who play for other country like imaran tahir

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fairy

May 11, 2017 03:58pm

@tt Still did not get one thing. If india is home ground for afghansitan, then how come they are not hiring indian coach.

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Azmeen

May 11, 2017 04:04pm

Hope, Younis will be secure in Afghanistan. Best of luck.

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A Pakistani

May 11, 2017 04:13pm

very sad and wrong decision

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a ali

May 11, 2017 04:17pm

YK please re-think about coaching Afg... we coach them cricket and they kill our census team members... on behalf of RAW.

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kuNAL MAJUMDAR

May 11, 2017 04:27pm

@Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad: Coaching the Afghan cricketers in India. Time for Iran to develop a cricket team.

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Rahul

May 11, 2017 04:38pm

@Azmeen - *"Hope, Younis will be secure in Afghanistan. Best of luck."* He doesn't have to be. The Afghanistan cricket team is currently based in New Delhi.

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Khan

May 11, 2017 04:43pm

@nadeem Qazi If you require it...Amid a legend how he is treated here in Pakistan tell the truth. Being the only captain after Imran Khan that bring world cup (T20) to this country. He received all this ill treatment because he was straight forward, honest and professional. Its not talent but 'approach' that will give you some position and respect here. Better he serve some deprived, war turn people to whom he is alike them...rejected..exploited...and...betrayed by everyone.

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Rahul

May 11, 2017 04:48pm

@fairy - *"If india is home ground for afghansitan, then how come they are not hiring indian coach."* They cannot afford one.

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M. Siddique

May 11, 2017 04:50pm

Younas Khan must make sure Afghan team is trained in Peshawar and not in Afghanistan or India.

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Hyder

May 11, 2017 04:56pm

Sir Others acknowledge and employ pakistani legends but do not know why Pakistani cricket board play blind and hire B grade foreign coaches thereby wasting precious foreign exchange??? What improvements the foreigners have brought to our cricket???

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Zak

May 11, 2017 04:56pm

Afghanistan always turns to Pakistan for help and betterment yet their govt under foreign countries influence creates conflict and hurdles. In other words, the Afghan govt works against the interest of its own people.

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Zak

May 11, 2017 04:58pm

@Joe Younis Khan has already visited India as Pakistan cricket team member. India was so honoured to have him, a celebrity and a legend in his own right.

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Zak

May 11, 2017 04:59pm

@Jawad he will make the Afghan team very pro pakistan. Good move.

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WOW

May 11, 2017 05:01pm

@Lion of Khyber - Yes Pathan indeed, but a Pakistani pathan. His ancestors, family etc all have lived in the region of Pakistan and will continue to live there. Pakistan Pathan not from Afghanistan, but from Pakistan as they have live here in Pakistan for centuries, nothing to do with Afghanistan just sharing the same language background as they closing the border with Afghanistan. He can go where he wishes. Best of luck and inshaAllah will coach Pakistan one day.

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BritiSh Muslim

May 11, 2017 05:09pm

@Taimoor khan because Afghanistan team based in India. India built a whole stadium for them to stay and practice near Delhi

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fareed hussain

May 11, 2017 05:30pm

good for him, and Afghans too. He never liked PCB and he seems less fit into Pakistani set up

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SUDHAKAR, USA

May 11, 2017 05:47pm

@Rahul : Waseem Akram knows it.

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J. Gamble

May 11, 2017 06:05pm

He is still young, and he needs something to do. I don't see anything in him coaching Afghanistan Cricket team.

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Sikisher

May 11, 2017 06:16pm

@nadeem Qazi because they didn't offer him any job here and not will they in the future .... He wanted to coach the u19 team but that job was given to basit Ali ..somehow he was more qualified lol PCB logic zindabad

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Rajab

May 11, 2017 06:30pm

Younis bhai dont do this. They dont deserve personality like you.

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zash

May 11, 2017 06:51pm

@Rahul will you care to explain how did the Pakistan killed the mentioned coaches career or you are just another Pakistan obsessed troll. dawn pls publish it

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Talha

May 11, 2017 08:27pm

Younis Khan is our Pakistani hero and we Pakistanis would love to see him replace Mickey Arthur as our head coach. Younis bhai please don't leave Pakistan cricket behind.

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anony

May 11, 2017 09:17pm

Excellent choice. Best of luck to Afghan team and Younis Khan.

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FR Canada

May 11, 2017 09:24pm

I would personally like him to do something for rural and far areas of Karachi or his home town Mardan in terms of cricket rather than work with for-hire Afghanis.

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LoveArmyPAK

May 11, 2017 10:00pm

@Talha Who would ever leave you?

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LoveArmyPAK

May 11, 2017 10:02pm

@M.Saeed Some people enjoy that so let him decide.

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PhilosoPher(from japan)

May 11, 2017 10:06pm

Yeah. Next he will be made the head coach of Pak cricket and he would be returned in the middle of his contract like inzi.

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Raja Farhat Abbas

May 11, 2017 11:50pm

@tt ...First learn to spell then look at who i replied to and why.

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karachi wally

May 12, 2017 10:07pm

@Zak Thats okay Afghans live to their tradition and Pakistan should live to its. Our tradition and history is to always help Afghanistan, from hosting refugees to supporting them for food, jobs, medicines everything. One day some generation of Afghans will realize this. Even if they don't its okay we are helping fellow human beings.

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