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Afghanistan Over Pakistan? Rashid Latif Breaks Silence On Younis Khan’s Decision

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Younis Khan snubbed Pakistan to mentor Afghanistan [Source: @MDUmairKh/X.com]Younis Khan snubbed Pakistan to mentor Afghanistan [Source: @MDUmairKh/X.com]

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Afghanistan’s cricket team may be considered underdogs, but they’ve proven that they can strike at any moment and surprise everyone. A big reason for their rise is Younis Khan, who chose to mentor Afghanistan instead of working with Pakistan, and former cricketer Rashid Latif shed some light on why he made that decision.

Younis Khan was appointed as the mentor for Afghanistan just before the ongoing Champions Trophy tournament. This move came after Afghanistan pulled off an unexpected win against England, knocking them out of the tournament in a thrilling match. 

Rashid Latif Drops A Bombshell

During an interview on Geo News' 'Haarna Mana Hai' show, Rashid Latif revealed that Younis Khan turned down an offer to work with the Pakistan team, even though there was no financial benefit for him in mentoring Afghanistan.

“Younis Khan said no to Pakistan cricket to work with Afghanistan. There are no financial benefits here," Latif said

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) had been looking for someone to help guide their team during the Champions Trophy. ACB CEO Naseeb Khan explained that since the tournament was being held in Pakistan, it made sense to bring in a mentor from the host country. This strategy had worked well in the past, with positive results from mentors in the 2023 ODI World Cup and 2024 T20 World Cup.

“The Champions Trophy is being held in Pakistan, so we needed someone from the host country to mentor our players. We already achieved good results by appointing mentors from the hosting countries in the 2023 ODI World Cup and 2024 T20 World Cup,” he said.

Younis Khan’s decision to join Afghanistan was a crucial one. He teamed up with head coach Jonathan Trott, under whom Afghanistan had seen great success in recent years. This collaboration paid off, as Afghanistan posted an impressive 325 runs in their must-win game against England, eventually winning by eight runs. 

Afghanistan's batting performance, especially the way their middle order handled England’s bowlers, showed just how far they’ve come in international cricket.

It is important to mention that Afghanistan have the chance to make history in their first-ever Champions Trophy appearance by potentially qualifying for the semifinals, if they defeat Australia in the group-stage match.