The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced the appointment of former Pakistan captain Younis Khan as the team’s mentor for the 2025 Champions Trophy. Younis, who previously worked with Afghanistan during a 15-day training camp in Abu Dhabi in 2022, will join the team in Pakistan for a conditioning camp ahead of the tournament and remain with them until its conclusion.
The Champions Trophy is scheduled to begin on February 19, 2025, in Karachi, with games involving India set to be played in Dubai. Afghanistan has been placed in Group B alongside Australia, England, and South Africa.
This marks the third consecutive global tournament where Afghanistan has appointed a mentor from the host nation. Ajay Jadeja mentored the team during the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, while Dwayne Bravo served as bowling consultant for the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA. Under their guidance, Afghanistan achieved significant milestones, including a sixth-place finish in the ODI World Cup with wins over England, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, as well as a semi-final run in the T20 World Cup—Afghanistan’s best performance in a global event to date.
ACB chief executive Naseeb Khan explained the rationale behind Younis’ appointment: "Since the Champions Trophy is being held in Pakistan, it was essential to bring in a talented and experienced mentor from the host country. Our previous experiences with local mentors in the 2023 and 2024 World Cups were highly effective. Considering the conditions, we have appointed Younis Khan and wish him the best of luck in this crucial assignment."
Younis, who retired in 2017 with a distinguished international career spanning 118 Tests, 265 ODIs, and 25 T20Is, transitioned into coaching post-retirement. He briefly served as Pakistan’s batting coach in 2021 before parting ways with the PCB due to differences.
Afghanistan will look to continue its impressive run in global tournaments under Younis' mentorship, aiming to create another landmark performance in the Champions Trophy.
Updated on 4th January, 2025 by MyFortune11 Team.